The Devil Arise
by SweetyKinz
Summary: Stolen and viewed as a son by Vlad, treated as a pawn in The Light's twisted game, and apprenticed to Deathstroke the Terminator, Danny plans to untangle and cut all of the strings controlling him. What better pair of scissors than the Team? (Mercenary!Danny)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _"MY BABY! MY BABY!"_ the anguished shrieks of a grieving mother harshly cut through the small, enclosed room. Her withering sobs filled the cold air that smelled of unpleasant anesthetic, echoing off the stark white walls off the hospital room.

At her side sat a large man, his hand enclosed around her own in a gesture of comfort as his own broad shoulders trembled with his agonized sobs. His free hand rested upon his face, the skin soaking over with salty tears.

Two men dressed in deep blue scrubs grew somber, their expressions accompanying a mixture of grave sadness and sympathy. One of the males sat a desk, the clacks of his fingers against the keyboard almost silent as he somberly inputted updates to their files.

The other doctor was quietly gathering the high-end equipment, occasionally stopping to scrawl something out on the oak clipboard laying on a nearby table. They left the room as soon as everything was in order, respectfully giving the mourning couple a moment to be alone.

No one took special notice of a man walking down the hallway, a clanking, metal cart being pushed out in front of him. He wore a surgical mask, hiding the cruel smirk that adorned his features. If one looked close enough, his dark eyes would bore back with a malicious glint that most definitely did not belong on a man in his 'profession'.

Madeline and Jack Fenton had been crushed in a way that would forever haunt them, while Vladimir Masters had gained two things that day.

The bloodthirsty revenge he sought out against the Fentons, and the son that he had always wanted.

Daniel Masters would be a perfect heir indeed.

* * *

 **…** **is what the creep thought when he expected Danny to be a perfect son. Beautifully enough, the fruitloop can never seem to get his way :D OH, VLAD, HOW WE HATE YOU SO. :3 It almost pained me to write Masters after Daniel xD Don't worry, Danny! I know it's painful now, but everything will work out** ** _just_** **fine.**

 **Also, welcome to my new story! :D I really hope you'll enjoy, and I look forward to seeing what you guys have to say about this :) I LOVE YOU ALL, LITTLE BUMGORFS! This is for the object of my stalking, KodiakWolfe13! Yup, guys, I'm her stalker! :DDDD (I really really really shouldn't be posting this, Kodi, but I am, so whatever! :DDD)**

 **I have a joke for you guys! Knock knock! (You reply who's there?) Doctor! (You guys: Doctor Who?) *Hysterical giggling and fangirl actions***


	2. Confliction

**Chapter One**

Vlad sat at his ornate oak-wood desk, a stack of very important papers staring back at him. He frowned in annoyance, quickly scrawling down his signature before he set the slip aside. Another thin piece of paper was revealed to his clear-blue eyes, the contents of it instantly making him growl as his eyes flashed a bloody red. His fist clenched tightly on the surface of the desk, cutting through the air to angrily bang against the aged wood.

" _DANIEL!"_ he bellowed, his shout echoing throughout the very vast halls of his expensive mansion. The shriek of rage fell onto the small ears of a raven-haired three-year old, who was sitting on the flashily carpeted floor of his large playroom. He was pushing small, toy cars across the floor, making little sound effects with his mouth.

As soon as he heard the yell, his deep blue eyes widened. His small fingers trembled at the little toddler's side, tears instantly starting to flow down his chubby cheeks, which were starting to turn blotchy and red through his crying. The figure watching the child frowned in exasperation, floating over to him to gently take the boy in her glowing blue arms.

"This had better be good," the pop-star muttered to herself, rolling her eyes as she quickly flew to Masters' study. The small toddler she held shook in her arms, his hands flying out and almost smacking the ghost in the face. She let out an aggravated growl, quickening her speed. Her body was enveloped in a soft, white glow, creeping outward and clutching to their flesh as it spread, both of their bodies rippling into a translucent state as they turned intangible.

The two disappeared into the wall, coming face to face with an enraged Vlad Masters on the other side.

"Here's your delivery," Ember drawled sarcastically, plopping the sniveling boy into Vlad's awaiting hands.

"Thank you, Ember," Vlad said smoothly, turning his back to walk towards his desk. "That will be all."

"Yea, whatever," Ember muttered, casting the two a glance before her lithe figure faded from sight.

"Daniel," Vlad started off slowly, his eyes narrowing at the young boy dangling from his hands. "What have I told you about messing with father's things?"

"You- you-" Danny blathered something incoherent, his words a fumbling mess as he started crying even harder, snot starting to run down his nose.

"I said not to!" Vlad snapped, none-too gently dropping the kid onto his work desk. " _What is this?!"_ The silver-haired man picked up the document on his desk, showing the raven-haired toddler the scribbles colored over every inch of the vital paper. Masters' hands gripped Danny's forearms tightly, squeezing the small limbs hard enough the make the toddler cry out even more.

"I- I'm sorry, Father," Danny sobbed, trying not choke on his tears as Vlad's light blue eyes bore into his own with a cold, cruel glare.

"And Daniel?"

"Yes, Father?" the small boy hiccupped.

"Stop your insolent sniveling. It is quite… off-putting."

"…yes, Father."

* * *

"DANIEL!" Vlad screamed.

Five-year old Danny's eyes widened, his breath hitching in his throat. Almost immediately, a small ring of light formed around his waist. His shaggy, raven-hair was swept into a wave of snow, while his small red hoodie morphed into a pitch black shade that gave off a glowing white aura. His jeans molded to fit his form, melting into a hue of white that blended into his top.

Swallowing, the small form's physical spectrum shifted, blending into a transparency that easily allowed him to shift through the glimmering red walls of the ornate mansion. It took him less than a minute to reach his father's study. He phased through the golden walls that the famous white-haired billionaire receded into daily as a cut off from the rest of the world.

"Little Badger, as I am fairly certain you _should_ be aware, education is very, v _ery_ important, _"_ Vlad emphasized to halfa, who looked at him with wide eyes, his head nodding frantically. "Knowledge is power, my boy. Do you know who said that?"

"George Washington?" Danny hesitated, pulling out the first name that came to his head.

"Thomas Jefferson said that," the billionaire continued as if he was never interrupted. "A wise man indeed. Knowledge is the key to success-" Vlad droned on in his lecture, his words blending together. Danny's eyes were glazed over, staring at the male blankly as the words went through one ear and came right out the other. As the older male continued to drone on, relief washed through Danny as he realized that he wasn't really in that much trouble. His father would have expressed his anger in terrifying screams and harsh smacks that usually left him with purple and blue decorating small parts of his fragile skin.

 _I wonder if Jilly finished that drawing I asked her to drawed me,_ the five-year old titled in his head in thought, in a carefree air now that he knew he wasn't really in trouble. _It was real pretty. It had a cookie in it. Now I wan' one_ … _to bad father don't let me,_ he pouted. _Is father done talking yet?_

"Do you understand me, Daniel?"

"Hm? Oh- yea, of course I do, father! I'll never do it again!" Danny swore fiercely, nodding seriously.

"Good," Vlad nodded in satisfaction. "Don't let your teacher catch you reading your ridiculous, fictitious fantasy books in class again. I taught you better than that."

 _…so that's what this was 'bout…._

"Of course, father!"

"Now get to the training room. You have a long day ahead of you, son."

"Yes, sir," Danny mumbled, withholding a groan of despair. The soar ache in his limbs seemed even more apparent as the three foot halfa trudged off to the training room, or as he so affectionately dubbed it, the real room of pain.

* * *

"YOU CAN'T FORCE ME INTO THIS!" Danny screamed angrily, his pale skin flushed over red in his anger. His fists clenched harshly at his side, nails biting into the flesh hard enough to break through, and then healing over immediately after.

"You really don't have a choice, _Little Badger,_ " Vlad said slowly, his lips tightening as his eyes hardened. He glared coldly at the stubborn, seven year old boy standing before him. How dare the insolent boy deny his teachings!

"IT'S MY LIFE!" the raven-haired male exclaimed in disbelief, his breathing heavy from all of the screaming.

"AND YOU'RE MY SON!" Vlad raised his voice even higher, in a way that was almost painful to his sensitive ears.

"Father-" Danny spoke up, his small hands tiredly rubbing at his red-rimmed eyes.

"Go, Daniel."

He didn't need to be told twice, immediately vanishing from view of his enraged 'father'.

That night, Danny had trouble falling into a restful slumber. He stayed awake, curled in a small ball under his silky, expensive blankets, a few tears occasionally falling from his red-rimmed eyes. He held the corner of his blanket bundled in his hand, burying his face into it. A whimper escaped his lips, muffled by the sheets that he had shoved below his chubby face.

Danny didn't understand. He went to a very elite and expensive school that accommodated all grade levels. They were just sectioned off, but so far, he had very nice, albeit strict, teachers. They taught him very well, including the value of morals. He had very nice friends at school, and they were a very good influence on him. He had a sense of what was right and what was wrong, so why was his father trying to make him do this?

It was wrong.

He could feel it.

…but he had to do it, didn't he? His dad was his mentor, his father, his teacher, and his caretaker. Sure, he was strict, but the man taught him everything he knew about his powers. So maybe there was something good about this? Something that his small, eight-year old brain didn't realize?

But what good can come out of stealing?

Thinking about it hurt his brain, and Danny sighed. He rolled over onto his side, blankly staring through the darkness of his room.

A light suddenly cut through the darkness, a song softly starting to blare.

 _I'm a little tea pot,_

 _Short and stout,_

 _Here is my handle,_

 _And here is my spout_

Danny grew more alert, sitting up in his large bed. He reached out towards the small, oak desk beside his bed, his hand wrapping the sleek, cold phone. He squinted against the light, the time 7:00 blaring at him in bright, flashing letters. The name calling him was presented on the screen, and Danny lips twitched upward in a soft smile.

"Tucker," he said in greeting, rolling back onto bed so that he was facing the ceiling. "You're calling really late! What'cha doin'?"

"HEY DANNY!" a faint voice yelled out in the background, their tone cheerful.

"Tell Sam I said hi," Danny grinned a toothy grin into his phone, his mood brightening considerably as he spoke to his two best friends.

"Yea, sure," Tucker replied, making no move to do so.

"Put me on speaker?"

"Done."

"Awesome! So are you guys staying over each other's house?"

"Yea! Sam's mom and daddy couldn't get a babysitter this late, so momma let her stay over! Isn't that great?"

"I wish I could come over!" Danny sighed sadly, pouting.

"Us too! It would be a lot more fun!" Sam agreed.

"Hey! I'm plenty fun!"

"I know, Tucker! But Danny completes us!"

"I am that awesome," Danny grinned smugly.

"Maybly you can ask your dad if you can come over!"

"It's maybe, stupid-head!" Sam corrected, slapping the other boy in the head.

"I said that!"

"You said maybly!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yea huh!"

"No!"

Danny let out a soft, barely audible laugh that was almost a cry as they brought up his dad. He listened to his friends bicker, but gained their attention when he spoke up sadly, "Um, I dun think that father will let me… He's mad at me right now."

"Ooooh!" His friends chorused. "What did you do?"

"I-" Danny swallowed, considering whether or not he should tell them. What if they didn't like him anymore? "My teacher told on me for reading in class."

"You can convince him?" Tucker asked hopefully.

"Yea, Danny! We need you!" Sam yelled.

"Go convice him!"

"Convince!" Sam corrected, her tone full of exasperation.

"THAT'S WHAT I SAID, WOMAM!"

"…woman…."

"GAH!"

"I'll- uh, I'll talk to father," Danny said hesitantly. The two on the other line cheered happily, yelling at him to go do it now. Danny bit his lip, slipping his sock-clad feet onto the cold, hard-wood floor. He slid on his slippery socks, sliding to his door.

Danny opened it slowly, peeking out into the dark hallway. He cautiously walked down the walkway, his heart beating faster at the prospect of facing his father. He chattered nervously onto his to friends, getting closer and closer to his father's bedroom door.

As he approached it, he could hear the voice of his father, and he sounded angry.

Danny quickly shushed his friends, putting the volume of his phone down so that he could hear better. He placed his ear up to the door, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

"-can't do this to me! I have more power that you can ever imagine!" Vlad snapped, his tone even more furious than earlier.

"You know nothing of my power," a smooth voice replied to his father calmly. "I can do things you can never imagine. I can make you wish you were dead, so I would recommend that you listen, _and listen good._ Everything that you need to know is in this file. Do not disappoint me."

Too preoccupied on eavesdropping, it just occurred to Danny that phasing invisibly into the room was a possibility. His father most likely could sense that the halfa was already there, so what would a closer look hurt?

It was with that thought that he phased into the room, just in time to see a flash of orange as a dark figure disappeared out of the open window.

Danny hesitantly landed on the floor, barely making a sound due to his small stature. He bit his lip out of nervousness, the phone now muted and resting inside his pocket. He watched his father sigh heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was leaning against the back of his desk, his eyes closed and his fist clenched in a show of either irritation or stress. Somehow, someway, his father didn't notice his presence, to preoccupied with his own thoughts.

He slowly backed out of the room, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Danny snuck back to his room quietly and took the phone out of his pocket, setting the volume to a low, barely noticeable volume. He knew there was no way his father could hear him now, even with his super hearing, but the small boy felt the need to be quiet.

He didn't respond to his friends until he reached his bedroom and climbed back onto his huge bed. The huge, fluffy blankets provided the boy comfort as he sunk into the sheets, wrapping them around himself.

"I can't come, guys. Not today."

* * *

 **Yea, fun times! This was supposed to have an updating schedule *glares at Kodi* xD IT'S ALL HER FAULT THIS WAS UPDATED TODAY! Also, Kodi, did you see Lawlipop9991's profile picture? It's Jaybird! :DDD IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!**

 **RR (Review Replies):**

 **KodiakWolfe13: WELL THEY DIDN'T, SO HAA! AW, BUDDY-FACE! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Vlad is fun to hate cause he's a pedo! "I WILL DESTROY YOU!" xDDDD Too bad Danny's not a mercenary yet xD I'm so slow... I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE YOUR STORIES TOO!**

 **Guest: Aw, thank you! :D I love that joke so much I overuse it xD**

 **Lawlipop9991: Awesome picture (again)! xD And I love your penname! *beams* I'm so glad you like!**

 **Brenne: YES HE IS! DOWN WITH VLAD! I'm so happy! :DDD  
**

 **Adalin: *covers mouth and grins* Thank you! ...If you're gonna read this, you're gonna have to get used to me being a cruel, cruel person xD DIE, VLAD, DIE!**

 **Fear the Fuzzy Bear!: I know you! :DDD Thanks! Haha, dude! I had so much trouble on this title (like I always do xD), so I'm so glad that someone liked it! xD OH MY GOSH, YES! TEENAGERS! xD YES, LITTLE BUMGORF! THANKS, DUDE! :D**


	3. The Talk

**Chapter Two:**

Danny had trouble sleeping that night, the blankets tangling around his small body as he turned and tossed all night. He fell in and out of his restless sleep, randomly awaking in the middle of the night for no apparent reason at all. He was uncomfortable as he awoke once more, his drooping eyes staring through the darkness of his room. The open window let a very dim light into his room.

Troubled from his sleepless night, Danny held in a whimper, clutching his stuffed ghost plushie, Beowulf, tighter to his chest. He clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to fall back asleep, but received no award for his efforts after a few minutes passed by. He swallowed, sitting up in bed with his blue eyes darting around his eerily dark bedroom. The thought of going to his father's room sprung to mind, but he dismissed it immediately, as the thought made his heart skip a beat out of fear. Father would be so mad at him….

He shivered, hugged Beowulf to his chest, and slowly got out of bed with a single destination in mind.

His father typically disapproved of his reading choice, that being mystery and fantasy novels. The books were kept in the library, which Danny had access to during his free time. Most of the ghosts he would see around the manor are in the Ghost Zone at this time of night, so the halls of the mansion were dark and empty. He nervously nibbled at his thumbnail, subconsciously walking a bit faster than normal.

It took him a little while to reach the library, considering the vastness of the mansion. He walked down several long hallways and up the ornate, red-winding staircase that stretched up to the third floor. He walked down several more hallways, and eventually reached bold, oak-wood doors.

He managed to open the door with a little bit of a struggle due to his small stature, and large, ornate room behind it was revealed to him. He grinned, a small giggle of glee escaping his lips as he ran inside, happily hugging Beowulf to his chest.

The large library that was revealed to him made his crystalline eyes sparkle in glee, and he quickly went to the back of the library. He beamed and quickly transformed into his ghost form, flying up to reach the higher shelves that held the book series he was currently reading. He found one quickly and pulled it off the shelf, flying over to a large sofa where he laid back against it and transformed into his nighties-clad human half.

Danny read for a couple of hours before his eyes began to droop in exhaustion. He yawed, blinking slowly when his eyes watered in response. He read one last page before he was pulled into the bliss of unconsciousness. His hand became limp and the book fell onto the space beside him, being knocked to the floor when he rolled over, his face snuggling against the fluffy couch cushion.

 _"Danny!"_ A voice cooed, cutting through the vast silence of the library. " _Wakey-wakey, cutie-pie!"_

Danny stirred on his spot on the couch, rolling over onto his back. He let out a small groan and blinked his eyes open slowly, squinting against the bright light. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes, sitting up and stretching. His eyes quickly adjusted to the bright light, and he slowly revealed his baby blues to the world.

Ember's smirking face met his sleepy gaze, and Danny waved at her, letting out a tired, "Hey, Ember."

"Hey, Baby-pop!" Ember drawled, her green eyes sparkling with amusement at the seven-year old's disgruntled look. "Breakfast is ready! Your old man really wants you down there for some reason, but whatever. His lazy-ass sent me."

"Oh…" Danny mumbled, the curse the older girl said not seeming to faze him.

"Get up, doll-face! Brush your teeth, or whatever crap you humans like to do in the morning!"

"What I would like is to go back to sleep!" Danny declared, beaming up at the ghost.

"Whatever," Ember shrugged. "Just get down there eventually! I dun really care, either way! See ya' whenever, Baby-pop!"

"Bye, Ember!" Danny beamed, waving to the blue-skinned right before she disappeared. He was left alone, and he yawned again, not ready to leave the couch quite yet. Out of not wanting to see his father, or just out of plain laziness, the world shall never know.

He sighed after a few minutes passed by, resigning himself to the fact that he had to get ready. It took the seven-year old about half-an-hour to get ready, and when it was time, he took the smallest steps down the stairs possible in an effort to prolong the inevitable.

As he made it closer and closer to the kitchen area, the heavenly scent that met his eyes almost made him want to quicken his pace to receive the glorious food. Almost. He bit his lip, hand tightening around Beowulf's limp body that rested against his leg, and steeled himself when he approached the large archway that connected to their dining room.

Danny walked into the room slowly, his shaggy raven-hair falling to cover his crystalline eyes. He hesitantly shuffled his feet, looking down at the floor when he entered. Vlad was sitting at one of the tables, reading over a stack of files on the table-top in front of him. He either didn't notice the boy's entrance (which was simply unlikely), or just didn't bother to take his light blue eyes off his work.

Only when Danny quietly pulled out a chair and scrambled atop it did Vlad finally put aside his work, his gaze rising to look at his son.

Danny seemed to find the table top in front of him very interesting, focusing on the patterns carved into the wood, rather than his father's eyes. He traced over the wooden carvings with a small finger, occasionally bumping against Beowulf's leg, who was seated on top of the table. The silence between the two was uncomfortable, and Danny really didn't want to be the one to break that.

It was Vlad that finally spoke up, and he gave a simple, light cough that forced the ebony-haired boy's attention onto him.

"Daniel," Vlad greeted in a professional tone, his back completely straight and his hands folded in front of him.

"…father," Danny mumbled in response, slouching in his chair as a nervous feeling arose within him. There was another silence, and then Danny burst out the first thing that came to mind.

"Who was that man that was in your study with you last night?" Vlad's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. It was barely noticeable, but enough to tell Danny that his father had indeed not noticed his presence the night before.

"No one important," his father said smoothly, his expression becoming neutrally blank.

"He seemed important," Danny mumbled.

"It was nobody, Daniel," Vlad said sharply. "Do not make it a habit of yours to delve into my business."

Danny grew silent, an uncomfortably tight knot forming in his throat. He sniffled, swallowing against the lump, and reached out to his plushie for comfort. The tension between the two was uncomfortable, and Danny had never felt like this around his father before. He didn't know how to react.

His sock-clad feet swung restlessly below him, disturbing the air around him and sending small dust particles flying upwards before they floated softly back down, only to repeat the process. He waited impatiently for his father to something, but older man continued to ignore him, opting instead to write on the document sitting in front of him.

Minutes ticked by and Danny sighed, resting the soft flesh of his cheek against his palm. His crystalline orbs watched as his father calmly studies the sheet in front of him until, eventually, he pushed the pile aside and lifted his head, meeting Danny's eyes with his own.

"Daniel," Vlad started with a cold, analytic gaze that sparked with determination, "things are going to change around here, my boy."

* * *

 **Yea, hi guys. Is this terrible? Yes it is. Is it short and considered sort of incomplete? Yes, it is. Do I care at all? Nope! I am so tired, stressed, and frustrated, but it's over really little things, cause I'm exhausted and my feet are killing me and it's one in the morning .-.**

 **I had homecoming today, and it was really really fun, but it made me busy all week, and it's the week I had a lot of homework (typical), and I just haven't had time at all this weekend. This really would have been better and longer, but I have a corner to cry in as I'm dragged around all over the place tomorrow. Like, the reason I'm even posting this at one AM is because I'll literally have no time to do it tomorrow and I'm gonna go cry .-. I haven't talked to my stress reliever, so that's not good xc *passes out from exhaustion* *sobs and rips hair out***

 **(This was written in a happier mood xD)**

 **OKAI, GUYS, SO FIRST THING'S FIRST! TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL, AMAZING DAY, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS GIRL RIGHT HERE: KODIAKWOLFE13! *Applauds break out* GUYS, IT'S MY TWIN-SISSY'S BIRTHDAY TODAY! *Blows air horn* I'M SO EXCITED~! MY LITTLE BABIES ALL GROWN UP! *sobs into a handkerchief***

 **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY SPECIAL LITTLE KODI-BEAR! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, AND YOU'RE TRULY MY SISTER AND THE BEST FRIEND I'VE EVER HAD! You're a different kind of special, Kodi! xD YOU'RE THE MOST AMAZING PERSON I'VE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING, AND I LOOK UP TO YOU AS A WRITER BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO PERFECT AND I WISH I CAN GIVE YOU A REALLY TIGHT BEAR-HUG RIGHT NOW~ *tackles you in a really tight bear hug* I LOVE YOU SO FREAKIN MUCH!**

 **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY BUMGORF!**

 **EVERYONE GO READ HER AMAZING STORIES! (If you haven't already, you'd be absolutely insane, and not in the good way, cause they're the best, most beautiful masterpieces of literature I've ever had the pleasure of reading)(Especially read Phantom Wolf! ...OKAI, I'M KIDDING, DON'T HURT ME KODI!)**

 **I don't know if you'll get a chance to read this today, but YOU ARE MY ANCHOR AND YOU LIFT MY MOODS IN WAYS THAT NO ONE EVER CAN. I love you, my darling sister.**

 **RR:**

 **Fear the Fuzzy Bear: Yes, my Banshee did say so! xD You know, annoying Vlad is like a way of life! Aw, you're too kind! :DDD I was talking to my sister and I'm like, "Yea, my new story isn't that popular, but I don't care, cause I have Fear the Fuzzy Bear!" And it was so amazing cause it rhymed :3**

 **My Banshee Bae: I DID APPRECIATE THAT! (But it took me a second to realize what you were talking about xD) OH MY GOSH, MY BEAUTIFUL TWIN SISSY! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! THAT'S LITERALLY THE BEST REVIEW I'VE READ IN MY LIFE ANYWHERE, AND YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY IN WAYS THAT ONLY BATMAN AND DP COULD BEFORE (YOU MAKE ME MORE HAPPY THAN THEY EVER COULD)! :DDD I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! (It hasn't been that long xD) xD THANK YOU SO MUCH, MY PERFECT DARLING! And that's okay! I have people that matter here, and that's all that matters! "In all my 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone that wasn't important." Happy Birthday :)**

 **Lawlipop9991: OH MY GOSH, YES! It's so annoying! *sighs* I guess people just think that good summaries are enough to attract your attention *facepalms***

 **Brenne: Oooh, I wonder~ :D I love your questions! Thank you so much! *beams***


	4. Schedule Changes

**Chapter Three:**

 _"Again."_

The simple word made Danny grind his teeth in frustration, beads of sweat forming on his forehead and uncomfortably dampening his snow-white bangs, making it cling to his tan flesh in an annoying manner. Danny attempted to brush the hair out of his eyes, but it was useless, as the hair just fell back into place as soon as he removed his hand. He huffed and closed his eyes, eyebrows tightening as he concentrated. His fists clenched at his side, causing his fingernails to dig into flesh and cause a very easy to ignore pain in his palms.

Vlad grew impatient after seconds passed by, waiting until his son finally managed to pull at the power inside of him. Eyes full of malice watched as a black smoke filled the air surrounding Danny, spinning around him until it completely enveloped his body and then dissipated, leaving behind nothing but empty space. Just as instantly as he disappeared did the smoke appear once again, this time forming beside the watching halfa before it became nothing, and Danny stood in the middle of where the smoke once was, breathing heavy and bent over, hands on his knees.

Danny had been practicing teleportation for hours now, doing nothing but moving from one space to another. But nothing seemed to satisfy Vlad, and he needed to be able to do it without resistance. The teenager was exhausted, wanting nothing more than to curl up in the comfort of his bed with warm cookies and a good book.

 _But nooo._ The fourteen-year old's mentor would not allow him to stop training for the day until he grew satisfied with the results, not particularly caring that every new attempt diminished his energy and made it that much harder to keep going. To Danny's misfortune, his mentor didn't appear to have anything important to attend to.

"Daniel, take a break," Vlad's smooth voice commanded, and Danny stared at him, his tired brain taking a second to register what the older had said. But as soon as he did, his bright green eyes widened, and he blinked owlishly up at his mentor, confusion settling deep in his orbs.

"...really?" he asked, head tilting curiously.

"Ten minutes," Vlad responded simply, nodding.

Danny's face broke into a grin, and, eyes shining, he gave the man a salute before he flew out of the room, floating straight to the kitchen upstairs. He went straight to fridge and procured a gallon of milk, pouring into a glass and then grabbing two cookies from the cookie jar. After he put the milk back and grabbed a napkin, he comfortably sat at the table and opened his book, getting lost in its pages and focusing on nothing else but dipping the cookies into the milk and devouring the gooey, warm desert.

 **LOOKONTOME~FORIPOSSESTHELINEBREAK**

Within a dim, enclosed room stood a figure, hands clasped behind his back as he spoke to several, lit screens surrounding the front of the room. Each screen, six in total, let out a soft blue glow, their faces obscured by the blue light. The figure that stood in the middle of the room wore heavy, black armor, an array of weapons being held on his person. He wore a utility belt with orange compartments, and wrist guards that were also orange and black. Covering his face was a mask, half orange and half black, that only revealed his left eye. The man had a silver ponytail that came out of the base of his mask and fell down his back, so long that the tips of it brushed against his hands.

"Vlad Masters' boy is improving greatly. His power levels are rising to almost succeed his own mentor, but I believe he isn't quite at perfection yet. But with a few weeks more training, Masters will drive him to his peak."

"All you do now is wait, Deathstroke," one of the figures on the screen spoke up, voice distorted and staticy. "We will be patient, and only act once the child has learned everything that he could using his powers. Once he does, Masters will be eliminated."

"Foolish old man can't teach that kid much when he's dead!" The voice could still be interpreted as nasally through the distortion.

"Once he unlocks his full potential, he won't be able to turn away from the control of the Light," a feminine voice purred almost seductively, greed coloring her tone.

"I shall report back when the time is here," Deathstroke said with a nod, his one eye glinting under the glow of the screens.

"Daniel will see The Light," the last voice said with finality, and the screens went dark.

 **LINEBREAKISATEDDYBEARWITHVIOLENTTENDANCIES**

Danny lived all of his life on a schedule. One that wasn't certainly intentional, but he found it to be an inevitable way that he go about his days. His younger years were full of a balance of entertainment, schooling, and training. Vlad was strict, but he still let him enjoy his childhood, as any good parent would. He wasn't taken out to the movies, or to anywhere like the park, but they would occasionally visit the Broadway theater, followed by a nice dinner. He didn't have much of a social life, with him going to a private, expensive school and never having been brought out to meet other children, besides the snobby, rich kids that he would rather avoid. He only ever had two close friends growing up, so Danny didn't exactly have one would call a normal childhood, but nonetheless, he rather enjoyed it.

Once he entered his teenage years, it was the first time that his schedule would be altered. It changed the balance that allowed him the semblance of a normal life.

Ever since a conversation with Vlad that Danny would refer to as his own version of 'The Talk'—which really had nothing do with the birds and the bees, but was a good name— Vlad drilled in nothing but academics and training. Danny wasn't allowed to focus on anything but, with the exception of reading. Reading had become his only form of entertainment, if he could find the time between school and training. Danny was also self-teaching himself to cook, Vlad passing it on as a good hobby for him to have, considering that he was gone for the most part.

The most time that Danny ever spends with his father is when they're training, which is the only time that Vlad makes certain that he make time for Danny out of his busy schedule. When he was away on a business trip, Danny would practice by himself, or the occasional ghost.

The teenager, barely out of his preteens, consumed his life with improving: getting stronger, smarter, and faster.

The second time that his schedule would change, it was something that was completely unexpected. It did more than change a small part of his life. It changed his entire life as he knew it.

It had started on a terribly normal day. Danny woke up early to catch up on his reading before going downstairs to share a breakfast with his father. Vlad had left early that day, and came home within a few hours to get Danny started on his training. It was an easy training day, and a quiet business day for Vlad. He did nothing else that day but school and homework, and turned in early for the night.

Danny was laying in bed when it had occurred, comfortably snuggled in his covers as he read his book next to a dimly lit lamp on his bedside table. He didn't particularly need light, as he had perfect vision no matter how dark or bright, but the warm glow provided him with a sort of comfort.

The mansion was always quiet at night. The halls were so vast that it would be hard for anyone without super-hearing to pick up on even the slightest of sounds, but the raven-haired teenager could hear the melodies of the chirping crickets singing at night, and the howl of the chilling wind outside as it scattered leaves and swayed vegetation.

Danny was absorbed in the pages of his book, mind playing through the scenes in his head until he was aware of nothing but the story and the turning of his pages. He would have read well into the night if he could have, but fate had other plans.

First there was silence, and then a noise so loud that it penetrated deep in his ears, leaving behind a solid ringing that would soon go away. His heart skipped a beat or two before speeding up, pounding harshly onto his chest as if it were a prisoner desperate to escape its confines. As the ringing died down, Danny could hear his heart beating in his ears, and he felt his eyes widen in shock.

The sound was an explosion, and he could feel the bed he sat upon shake with the force of it. It lasted for but a few quick seconds, but Danny was up before it even ended. The boy disappeared from his bed, teleporting a few feet away from where the sound had originated. He fell to his knees just outside of Vlad's study, already in his ghost form. Danny's arms fell to his side in a limp manner, and he could do nothing for a few precious seconds but stare numbly at the scene before him.

The place that sat in front of him, he could draw with his eyes closed, but what greeted him was something that was unrecognizable. The walls were black and charred, and the door laid across the hall, having easily been blasted off of its hinges. The wood was splintered, resembling a shattered mirror, and shards of shredded wood littered the soot covered tiles. The study wasn't any better, and different objects were set ablaze with a roaring fire. Debris was everywhere, along with charred ashes and chunks of metal that must have come from Vlad's ornate desk. The desk which now helped the spread of fire, engulfing what was left of the study and everything else in sight.

His mind took another minute to finally register it all before it clicked, and he jumped into action. Danny flew into the heart of the fire, turning himself intangible to avoid harm and easily maneuver inside the room, which was basically an obstacle course of death.

Despite being intangible, the heat of the flames still blazed against his skin, and Danny felt his temperature growing slightly hotter. Black smoke billowed from the flames, filling the room and making Danny grateful that he didn't necessarily need to breathe.

Emerald eyes flickered around the room, immediately stopping on something in the middle of it. A large chunk of concrete had collapsed from the ceiling, pinning down a barely conscious Vlad and trapping him in the burning inferno.

Danny immediately rushed to his side, taking in the warm, sticky pool of blood that flowed around him. The blood was leaving the billionaire's body at a pace that was too quick and heavy to be safe, and Danny found himself frantically searching for injuries before he attempted to get the billionaire out.

"Da- Daniel-" Vlad managed to whisper out hoarsely before he falling into a coughing fit, red liquid seeping out from between his lips. His eyes were bloodshot and barely open, only revealing a sliver of blue eyes that never left Danny's face.

"Fa- It's okay, Father," Danny said gently, eyes filling over with tears that refused to fall. "I'm going to get you out, okay? And then we're going to get you some help." His hands shifted to move under Vlad's torso, and teenager turned him intangible, phasing him through the slab of rock that had him pinned down. Holding him carefully in his arms, the young ghost flew out of the room, flying as fast as he could towards the medical wing without jostling the man's injuries. Vlad's body couldn't handle the strain that teleporting would give him. Flying would have to do.

In less than a minute, they were already halfway to the infirmary, and it was then that another explosion rocked through the mansion. Stopping mid-flight, a bundle of dread shot through the halfa's stomach.

"No no no," Danny breathed, speeding to the medical wing as he quickly muttered under his breath, "Pleasedon'tbewhatIthinkthatwas, pleasedon'tbewhatIthinkthatwas…"

He was greeted with a destroyed infirmary, and Danny fell to the floor in hopeless despair, his dying Father in his arms.

"It's- It's alright, son," Vlad murmured, fingers curling around Danny's forearm weakly in an attempt to provide comfort.

"I can teleport you to a hospital! One of your emergency ones! You have people there!"

"Danny-" Vlad was barely able to speak as he started choking on his blood, and he gasped for breath, managing a strained, "-won't make it."

"Nono, you're going to be fine," the smaller male sobbed out, voice breaking. "I can figure out a way to teleport you without…. I can still-!"

"-'S a'right. I love you, son," Vlad whispered, lifting a weak hand to brush his finger against Danny's cheek, wiping away some of the younger boy's tears.

"Father, who did this to you? Who did this?" Danny whispered desperately. Vlad didn't answer, eyelids falling shut as he let out a last, prolonged breath, falling limp in Danny's arms.

Soaked in blood that was not his own, Danny clutched the body of his father to his chest and cried for what seemed like an eternity.

 **IWEARLINEBREAKSNOW~LINEBREAKSARECOOL**

"Move in," Slade commanded over the comms, expression cold and calculating under his mask.

In response to his command, a small group infiltrated the mansion, clad in complete black and easily blending into the shadows so completely that they all but became them. With the grace of professional assassins, they maneuvered down the burning halls of the mansion, coming to a stop outside of the flaming infirmary.

Unfeeling eyes observed the grieving child for but a few moments more, and one of the men unsheathed a sword from its black holster, the metal silent as it slid outside of the sheath. He struck out in a blur, barely giving Danny any time to register the attack.

Danny sidestepped the attack out of pure instinct, flipping backwards as the assassin struck the air where he once stood. The unfocused halfa attempted to assess his surroundings, observant eyes taking in the others that accompanied his attacker.

The first thought that flashed through his mind was to get Vlad's body to safety, and he moved around his attackers to place his hand on his father's shoulder and teleport him to one of his safe-houses that resided hours away from the manor.

The second thing that came to mind was rage, instantly concluding that these men were the ones responsible for the attack. His grief turned into blind fury and he growled low in his throat— a deep, animalistic sound that resembled that of an angered lion. His snow-white hair started flickering before bursting into cold, blue flames, and his eyes turned a bloody red, clouding over with bloodlust. The aura that surrounded his body grew darker, but somehow brighter with it, leaving behind a being full of nothing but hate.

An instinct to kill took over his mind, and he lashed out, ectoblasts flaming with a power level never before achieved by the ghost. The bloodbath was quick and painful, men falling to the floor with broken necks and hollowed out chests. Blood was everywhere, and as the slaughter ended, Danny collapsed to the floor in the pool of it, his altered appearance shifting back to normal.

He let out a moan, swaying heavily before falling face-first into the solid, bloodied ground. With unfocused and blurred vision, a pair of what looked to be combat boots walking up to him was the last thing he saw before his eyelids fluttered closed, mind succumbing to darkness as he fell into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

 **First things first, please notice that this is no longer a Justice League crossover. It is now a Young Justice/Danny Phantom crossover, so yea! xD It's gonna be so much better now! (I changed the summary, as well)**

 **Alright, guys! Merry Christmas! :D I'm really excited this holiday, and I'm enjoying spending time with family~ Make sure you let those close to you know how much they mean to you, and spread a little holiday cheer! (And avoid nasty eggnog and fruitcake!) To those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, enjoy whatever holiday it is that you do celebrate!**

 **This chapter would have never been written so soon without Kodi, and I would like to thank you for your hard task of getting me to get my butt in gear. (I would have long since given up without you, and you mean the world to me~) I hope you enjoy this Christmas present! :)**

 **Happy Holidays, guys! :) And have a very Happy New Year!**

 **RR:**

 **Fear the Fuzzy Bear: THANK YOU! Hmm, I didn't actually have a name at all in mind... He was just reading a book that will forever be unnamed! :D**

 **Brenne: That would be such a fun encounter xD Thank you so much! :D**

 **Lawlipop9991: Aw, really? :D That makes my heart so happy to hear!**

 **Candy Phantom: We're just special that way! Nice~!**

 **Kodi-babybear: When I saw that your review was the one I was replying to next, I was like, "Oh my gosh!" and it made me so happy all over again to reread it! It's seriously the best review I've ever received in my life, and I've read it so many times! I love you sososososo much! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Beowulf just popped into mind! Dun know where from! :D It's not bad that you were expecting Deathstroke to come in because look what happened xD YOUR REVIEWS YOU SENT ME RECENTLY HAVE INSPIRED ME! (But I'm rewriting Forever Lost, cause I didn't do it right, so there's that! xD)**

 **Guest: Yea, I didn't do too bad! Just a two months gap!**

 **CamCam: IT WAS IN OCTOBER! TOO BAD YOU MISSED IT! xD Yeaaa, Beowulf was _burned. *_ cackles evilly* **

**RandomPasserby: Aw, thank you! He does have a lot of angst potential but we hate him cause he's a creepy pedo! I dun know if I can incorporate them in like that, but I shall see what I can do! :)**


	5. Apprentice

**Chapter Four:**

As he arose from unconsciousness, a pained groan was pulled from Danny's throat; a result of the splitting ache clawing through the recess of his mind. The teenager slowly attempted to sit up, back creaking in protest as it attempted to work through the stiffness that tightened the muscles of his torso. His calloused palms lied flat against the frigid stone beneath him in support, and he sat still for a minute or two, breathing deeply to gain awareness of his surroundings. As his head cleared, Danny took notice of his new and unfamiliar scenery, panic gripping tightly at his heart as a feeling of unsettled deep within his stomach.

The room was dark; a deadly, foreboding pitch blackness that surrounded him and threatened to swallow him whole and drag him into the abyss. As mournful loss pulled within the tender thresholds of his heart, the feeling of complete emptiness made itself known.

He found himself in a strange place, with a single fact at the forefront of his mind. He was totally and utterly alone. The pain of losing his Father weighed on the young boy, and his body curled into itself as he shut his eyes tightly, willing the whole vision of reality to be of something the opposite: a terrible nightmare. But as he blinked repeatedly against the tears that threatened to build up in his eyes, the floor remained cold and hard and the room remained as dark and unfamiliar as before.

A quiet sob tore away from his throat, cries filling the silence and providing no comfort to Danny. The void in his chest just seemed to gnaw itself into a bigger and bigger whole, resulting in an aching feeling in his chest that refused to leave no matter how hard he wished.

Hours passed and he ran out of tears, leaving him with nothing to do but lay on his side and stare emptily into the shadows with glazed over baby blues. Although, as empty as Danny was, he couldn't help but focus on the prodding thoughts that threatened to take over. Apprehensiveness over where he was and why, and anger at whoever it was for tearing into his life and shredding what normalcy he had been used to.

His sense of time seemed to dissipate as he waited for just about anything at all to happen, and it had felt like an eternity until something actually did. However, not much time had passed in reality when the door slowly started to open with a creak, the sliver of light that it revealed beyond growing wider and filling the room with a brightness that had Danny squinting slightly before he adjusted to it.

A shadowy figure blocked the entrance to the door way, moving his hand to the wall and flicking the light switch in one swift flicker of his wrist. The light fixture that dangled precariously from the ceiling lit up in an orange glow, and Danny blinked at it owlishly. He took in the sight of the person before him, of which was a very tall male that wore bulky orange and black armor, hair pulled into pain strikingly familiar silver pony tail that sent a sharp pang shooting through Danny's chest.

The man walked in slowly, and Danny sucked in a breath, subconsciously backing away until his back hit the wall, forcing him to stop. Rendered unable to do anything but stare with wide eyes, he waited for the stranger to make a move in his confused attempts to figure out what exactly was happening.

Slade Wilson's single eye gleamed devilishly underneath his mask, watching the young boy with something akin to a small smirk curling at the corner of his lips. The boy that laid in front of the mercenary was a complete 180 from the almost monstrous creature that slaughtered his men in cold blood, and it sent a drive of curiosity through the older male. As for his men, they were completely dispensable, of course, and Deathstroke felt neither remorse nor anger over the whole ordeal.

After all, all was going according to plan.

"Daniel Masters… If Masters is your true lineage, that is. Should I even call you by this title, or should I refer to you as something more appropriate… Something along the lines of Daniel Fenton, perhaps?" Slade finally spoke, and his voice smooth and calculating, betraying no hints to any emotion that the man currently felt.

"What- What are you talking about? Who are you?" Danny demanded, but his tone came out hoarse and weak, cracking slightly in his first attempt to use it in who knew how long. His hair was matted and flat against his head, and his eyes were bloodshot red. The state of his clothing was no better, torn and blackened from ash and soot, with blood soaking some areas of his torn pajamas. Honestly, on looks alone, the boy looked pathetic, tired, and completely unimportant to a man as influential as Deathstroke. But underneath his sunken gaze and curled shoulders lay a potential that was begging to be released out onto the world.

"I did seem to throw all formalities aside, didn't I?" Deathstroke asked rhetorically, and he chuckled darkly, sending a shiver running up Danny's spine. "My name is Slade Wilson, but you may refer to me as Deathstroke. Or better yet, Master," he seemed to tack it on as an afterthought, but the words had a direct effect on Danny as he flinched.

A moment passed before Danny lifted his gaze, blue eyes boring into the single white slit the adorned his half-black, half-orange mask.

"You- You killed my father?" he asked, but phrased the question in such a quiet, almost mindlessly dull way it wasn't even a question in its entirety. At the moment, he didn't seem as rage-filled over his Father's death as he had been in the Manor; he was just numb.

"Yes, I did," Slade confirmed with a simple nod of his head.

"Why?" Danny whispered, gaze locked down on the hands that he held out slightly, forever stained with the blood of his Father.

If Slade did not have the self-control that he did, he would have tilted his head at the grieving child. He expected rage, tears, retaliation… not what he was being shown. The raven-haired halfa just looked dead tired, already locking away barriers around his shattered mind.

He would have to work on him.

"I didn't kill your _father_ ," he responded, words contradicting his previous. Danny felt his hands tighten into fists, his head snapping up to stare at Slade with a burning gaze. The young teenager was desperate for answers, and all he was given were half-assed answers that made no sense.

"Believe it or not, Daniel, I _saved_ you," Slade said, taking a careful, calculated step forward. "I pulled you out before it was too late. Daniel, Vlad was not your friend, father, guardian, or anything of the like. He was a monstrous human being."

"And you're not?" Danny hissed, his previously feeble position becoming defensive as he sat up, squaring his shoulders and refusing to back down.

"I will not deny the truth, but neither should you, my boy. I state facts when I say that Vladimir is not your father. He's merely your kidnapper. Your biological father is a man by the name of Jack Fenton, husband of one Madeline Fenton, parents of your biological sister, Jasmine-"

"LIAR!" Danny screamed out in rage, tears of anger and grief sliding down his blotchy red cheeks. In a blur of a half of a second he was across the room, lashing out at the mercenary in an attempt to attack him.

In one swift movement, Deathstroke kicked his leg out from beneath him and grabbed at his arm, twisting the appendage painfully behind the head of the fourteen year old until threatened to pop out of its socket. Danny froze, eyes squeezed shut as his form seemed to flicker before solidifying again.

"Ah, I'm afraid there will be no teleporting here, or any use of your powers, for that matter. Why, I'm quite shocked that you did not attempt this before. Why do you think that is, Daniel?" Danny grunted, half crouching, half standing, as the mercenary spoke to him.

"A part of you must have known… Must have seeked the truth, confirming your hidden doubts and beliefs… Admit it, child. There was always something off about your life, was there not? How Vladimir kept you hidden away, sheltered from the rest of the world with nothing but lessons to make you the perfect pawn in his twisted little game…"

Danny adamantly denied the words that Slade filled his head with, but the seed slithered its way to the back of his mind, attempting to fester with every word that he spoke. It was surreal. Impossible. Never had the words been considered in his mind before, yet these seemed to stick in a way that had him hating himself for the self-doubt that flittered its way through his brain.

"Vlad was always obsessive," Slade hissed, unpinning the arm the he held as he pushed Danny away from him. "He was controlling. The Father that you have known was a psychopath that longed to keep you. If there was ever any love he had for you in the end, it all becomes false on the premise that what he did was a pure act of selfishness. Jack and Madeline? Perfect, loving parents that would have given you a happy life. They would have given you a family. And after Vlad rips that away from you, could you truly say that he loved you?" Danny sat in silence, his brows furrowed and Slade inwardly chuckled.

"I see you need time to yourself," the mercenary said, smirking darkly beneath his mask. His parting words left a cold feeling hanging in the air, and Danny was left alone once again, staring at the door in slight shock as it closed behind the mercenary.

Thoughts plaguing his mind, the time passed quickly until minutes blended into hours, and Danny was anxious as he cautiously sat up. He rose to his feet, slightly unsteady as his head throbbed slightly due to his returning headache and his eyes blurred over slightly. He stumbled, catching himself on the wall beside him and blinking rapidly in attempt to clear his vision. When he managed to steady himself, he walked forward slowly, hand curling around the cold doorknob. He twisted the knob and pulled, but unsurprisingly, the door didn't budge.

Quickly reaching into his pocket, he noted in slight surprise that his fingers found their way to a thin piece of metal. He pulled out the straightened paper clip, and having expected Slade to take it away from him, he allowed himself a small twitch of his lips at his good fortune. The ebony-haired teenager fingers shook slightly when he stuck it in the small lock, prolonging the minute or two that it took to get the door opened. A click sounded, and he pocketed the paper clip in satisfaction, swiftly pulling open the door.

An empty hallway stared back, and Danny noted the quiet surroundings with apprehension tugging at his gut. He closed his eyes, form flickering for a second before it came back into focus. The stab of pain in his head that resulted from the failed teleportation had Danny blinking harshly, gripping his head for a few moments as the throbbing withered into a dull ache. He walked along the length of empty hallway nervously, dark blue eyes flickering back and forth at every passing corner.

The building that he was in was quite large, leaving Danny slightly confused at the many futuristic rooms and hallways that were presented before him. Taking a deep breath, he rounded the corner and paused at what he saw. A room that was filled with large screens that were attached to the walls, with a massive desktop stretching out in front of it. The screens were alight with a soft glow, but a picture itself didn't show from behind the blank glass. On the desktop was computer, idly presenting a bland desktop that had no windows open. The corners of the room held black shelves of weapons, artifacts, and shiny items, encased in a protective glass.

He slowly walked across the artificially lit room, brows furrowed and hands wringing together anxiously as beads of sweat made themselves known across his forehead. Approaching the desk, Danny felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, and small goosebumps arose on the fragile skin of his arms. Taking in much needed deep breathes, he sat down on the large chair under the desk and nervously tapped his nails against the wooden table top, blue eyes gazing at the brightly lit screen of the computer.

He gave himself a little nod of encouragement, sitting up straighter and grabbing the mouse that connected to the computer. He clicked on the Google Chrome symbol, watching as a tab opened up almost immediately.

The white cursor moved across the screen, clicking on the URL bar. Danny slowly typed his key words into the computer, heart pounding against his ribcage like a trapped prisoner, desperate for escape. He entered in the words _'Madeline and Jack Fenton',_ hitting the enter key with more force than was really necessary. His breathing became labored, and he waited and waited, highly impatient as the blue loading symbol cycled around for the longest ten seconds of his entire life.

The search finished, and dozens of links appeared on the screen, calling out to him in bold, cobalt blue lettering. His breath stopped, hitching in his throat at the overwhelming response of links that Google provided him. Not knowing where to start, he scrolled down slightly, stopping on one of them that read: _Ghost Hunters, insane or needed._

The article gave off a vibe that self-proclaimed ghost hunting geniuses of Amity Park, Illinois were slightly psychotic, yet effective in battling the strange entities that made themselves known in the city. Looking at the date, Danny saw that the article was from about sixteen years ago, dating back to before he had been born. It provided a picture that he looked on with slight interest, analyzing the faces of the happy couple and their small, orange haired child that stood between them. A feeling that he couldn't quite name fluttered in his stomach, and he quickly exited out of the article.

Once again, he returned to the browser, adding two words to his search: _kidnapped newborn._

Fewer articles appeared this time around, and he clicked on the first link, reading the date to be July 27, fifteen years ago; exactly five days after his birth. He quickly scrolled through the article, the words sending a jolt of surprise through him.

" _"I didn't notice anything off that day," Madeline Fenton told Amity_ _Park reporter, Trisha Banks, with tears in her eyes. "Our doctor was very kind, and the only visit we had that day was from a family friend."_

 _This family friend appears to be none other than Vladimir Masters, influential billionaire and close friend of the Fenton family. Masters sends his deepest condolences to the grieving family, assisting in any way possible through his house in Wisconsin._ "

"What the hell?" Danny breathed out, scrolling back and forth through the article and reading and rereading, turning it inside out until it could provide him with no new information. Danny leaned back in his chair, not registering anything else as shock overcame him.

"Daniel, I am sorry that you had to find out this way. Truly, I am," the voiced appeared suddenly from the shadows behind him, sound completely emotionless and not sorry in the slightest way.

Startled, the halfa jumped out of his seat, the stupor in him broken as his eyes became wide, quickly becoming red and filling with fresh tears. He whipped around defensively, watching as the man that took him away revealed himself from the shadows.

Danny felt foolish suddenly for believing that he his actions had been hidden from the mercenary, but found quickly that he didn't particularly care.

"You're not sorry!" Danny words came out angry and torn, tears trailing down his cheeks one by one before disappearing, only to be replaced by trail after trail. "In what universe does any of this matter to you?!"

"Daniel, Daniel, DanieI…" Slade tutted, standing in a calm, predator-like stance with his hands behind his back. "I have only helped you, have I not? Think about where you currently be standing, if not for me. In fact, I believe you owe me your gratitude."

"I didn't ask for this! I don't understand… What is it that you want?" Danny questioned confusedly, tone dropping to a low, whisper-like octave that Deathstroke picked up on easily enough.

"Dear boy, I simply ask you to let me help you. All your life has been a lie. You have no one to turn to. Nowhere to go… Your biological parents believe that you're dead, while your kidnapper has truly fallen to such a fate. Why, if you could have only seen what that man had planned for you, you would be on your knees thanking me. I wish to train you; to make you stronger than ever before so that no one would be able to use and deceive you ever again. And in return, you provide to me assistance as my new apprentice."

 ** _Two Years Later_**

 _"Report to the briefing room,"_ Slade's voice chimed in over the intercom that connected to Danny's room, as cold and emotionless as it usually was. Danny sat up from his spot on the floor, where he had previously been doing sit ups. He stood up calmly, eyes flashing blue before his figure disappeared from the room.

His form then solidified into the air of the large room that stood several halls down from his own; the very same one that his fateful encounter with Deathstroke had occurred in, which resulted in his apprenticeship. His master stood in front of the large computer console, standing comfortably in the parade rest position that he had grown so accustomed to in the military. The screen was brightly lit, showing the blueprints and layout of a building. It was carefully marked and details in ways that only a select few would understand.

"Master," Danny greeted, nodding his head downwards in a sign of respect. His now silver hair fell into his emerald green eyes with the motion, and he subtly flicked it out of the way with a silver gloved hand.

"This shall be a fairly simple job, Wraith," Slade informed, proceeding to brief his trusted apprentice about his next smash-and-grab mission.

* * *

 **Uh... Either this is as terrible as I think it is, or I'm over thinking things (again) T.T But alas! This is far too late for me to mind~! (But not as late as others *coughs*) (I'm lying, I mind a lot *cries*) My explanation for the evil Danny thing last chapter, to clarify, is that ghosts get more powerful when exposed to a raw emotion. The anger, in this case. And Danny was so overcome with the rage and grief that it fueled into his ghost self (not turning him into Dan, but changing his form to compensate for it), if that makes sense?**

 **So Danny was convinced that Vlad had really bad plans for him and I'm trying to gloss over this as a sort of filler, or something~ (I go into too much detail though, so I'm probably gonna stretch it. I'll try not to!)**

 **RR:**

 **Kodi: AND THIS ENTIRE THING FILLS ME WITH JOY! *rejoices* (Oh gosh, I'm so behind for you, and I feel guilty about that...) EW, YEAH, THIS CHAPTER UNSATISFIES EVEN MORE SOMEHOW AFTER REREADING YOUR REVIEW xD OH WELL~ I can do that headphone thing, if you'd like xD I love you too, Mushu!**

 **Brenne: OH, BUT HE DID! Ah, he didn't really, and I feel like I did it all wrong! So strange to see people sad about Vlad's death xD**

 **The Crossover Addict: Aw, thank yous~! You didn't miss anything xD I tend to leave things out and reveal them later, so~ I'm hoping the next will be better as well xD Thanks, again!**

 **Blazingkill: You think? :D I appreciate it! Thank you!**

 **Guest: Things usually tend to xD That actually made me laugh a bit, thanks~! xD**

 **SuperiorBatman1: Me as I progressed with reading this review: "Yea, I dun think I'ma do that..." but then some time passed and I was like, "That actually sounds like it might be fun. Screw it." So there's a high chance I might incorporate that, or at least some allies :) Thank you for the ideas!**

 **: Ah, yeah, Danny is gonna be a mercenary here, so he's going to end killing a hell of a lot more~**

 **ScarecrowReaper: I'ma leave pairings out of this story~ Thanks for the suggestions! I'll keep them in mind :)**

 **Mewsali: Aw, I wasn't that mean! *watches***

 **Internal Fox: I DID I DID!**

 **ShadowArbitor: Yeah, I might just do something like that cx We'll see, thanks!**

 **Socialgirl378: Ah, I hope my AN cleared some confusion? Thank you!**


	6. Unknowingly Significant

**Chapter Five:**

"Hey, I've never met you! So this is crazy! But I'd like to kill you~ So come out here maybe!" Wraith sang loudly and rather obnoxiously, a wicked smile covering his face as his voice echoed down the hall. The black, red-rimmed headphones that were over his ears blared out the original version of Call Me Maybe, striking him inspiring motivation for the badly sung lyrics.

Completely invisible, the cameras were unable to pick up on him as they turned mechanically in their respective corners. But even if the male hadn't used his particular power, they wouldn't have been a problem. If Wraith were to be brutally honest, he would say that the security in the building was complete and utter shit. Although, he felt that was putting it a bit nicely.

He resorted to humming in satisfaction as he easily picked up on the guards rather loud response to the unexpected singing. It was rather unfortunate that he wouldn't be able to stick around and watch the completely audio free security footage, which would display the two bulky men rushing down the halls and stumbling over themselves in their pathetic efforts to find something that didn't even seem to be there.

Floating down the hallway casually, he internally cackled at the confusion of the guards as he quieted down, passing through their bodies and leaving nothing behind but a chill that caused the two humans to shiver simultaneously.

Alas, he was having as much fun as he could on his boring mission.

Wraith found the office that he had been seeking rather quickly, floating inside and immediately heading towards the desk holding a bulky, horribly outdated desktop monitor. He sat in the equally as horrible, stiff chair, huffing as he stayed completely invisible and turned on the monitor.

 _Who the frick frack can get anything done on this piece of shit?_ Danny mused in quiet irritation, refraining from unprofessionally bashing his head against the desktop after minutes stretched by with no progress on even turning the damn thing on.

The screen was lit, but completely black, emitting a static-like noise that the exhaustively bored Danny could only compare to the sound a cat would make after being wrapped up tightly in a scarf by a ten-foot-tall man with super strength.

Computer now turned on, the screen turned all blue with a box for a password displayed in the middle of it. Wraith smiled in delight, cracking his knuckles dramatically before getting to work. He pulled out a flash drive from one of the compartments in the white utility belt wrapped around his waist, inserting it into a USB port on the side of the computer.

This allowed him access to the entire computer, bypassing the password and starting on a download of the contents of every single file found in its hard drive. And as the little cliché downloading bar popped onto the screen, the green progress bar stayed completely still in the very beginning. Wraith waited and stared at the bar. And stared. And stared some more.

Staring was _boring_ , he concluded, after sitting for at least twenty minutes and watching the green bar only crawl by about an inch.

What the actual fuck.

His gleaming eyes were cold and unforgiving, burning holes into the screen and promising a painful, excruciating death. The random, fun loving song he was listening to that attempted to bring life into a cruel world did nothing to help ease his situation. He then rejoiced as a beeping noise went off in his headphones, and he lifted a finger-less glove clad hand to press a small button on the side of them, allowing the outside speaker to get through to his comms link and effectively cutting off his music.

"Wraith, you are needed in the area," Deathstroke's commanding tone filled his head, and Danny imagined himself tackling his Master in joyous gratitude.

"Yes, Master," he said instead in a cool, calm manner, bowing his head even if the older male was unable to see him. "Although, I haven't completed my current mission. Respectfully, I would like to issue a slight complaint."

"What is it?"

"The download doesn't look to be about anywhere near finished, and I've been here for at least twenty minutes. Do we not have faster equipment that would be more… efficient?"

"No," Slade said flatly. "Work with what you have. When you have successfully finished, go to this location."

He stated an address once before cutting the line, which Wraith memorized without much trouble. _When I successfully finish my_ _ass,_ Danny thought with a put-off-expression, raising his eyebrows at the slowly progressing download bar. He pulled out his phone and searched through his contacts, stopping on a specific one as he pressed the green call button.

 _Ring. Ring. Riiing._

Five more rings out, and the call then ended and went straight to voicemail.

No big deal. He'd just call again.

Pressing the call button once again, Danny waited patiently and tapped his fingers on the desk. It rang for an even shorter time, and a familiar, male voice came on.

 _"You've reached the voicemail of your favorite webslin-"_

He hung up. Called again.

 _"You've reached-"_

Again.

This time was different, as he was greeted with a slightly put off, "what the hell, man?"

"Black Spider," Wraith said, forcing his voice to sound urgent and as panicked as he could possibly make it. "Thank _goodness_ you picked up, oh god oh god…"

He kept repeating the mantra as if in a frenzied, unthinking state, shocking Black Spider on the other end of the line. This was completely uncharacteristic of the cold-blooded assassin that he knew, and he couldn't help but be freaked out as he tried to calm him.

"Just- just tell me what happened, Wraith," he responded with what he hoped to be a soothing voice, almost coming off as if he was a caring guy to Danny and Wraith had to refrain from snorting to keep up his act. "Calm down, man. Deep breaths."

"Nonono… No time! Look, Black Spider. I really need you to do something for me. Please, it's really important. The entire criminal underworld as we know it could be in jeopardy!" His dramatics were a bit much, but it went unnoticed by the other male. Danny thought that maybe he was too shocked or freaked out to be thinking rationally.

"…what do you need?" he asked hesitantly.

 _Maybe he thinks I finally snapped,_ Danny mused, containing a cackle that would give away this entire thing in an instant. He prided himself on self-control, after all.

"Just… come to this address, and go to office 208. You'll know when you see it," he said, rattling of his current address not unlike his mentor had just done, then proceeding to hang up before the other could respond.

Grinning triumphantly, he stood and stretched, sending one last, scathing look at the dreaded computer before he up and teleported away in a wisp of black smoke. Later, Danny stood, mystified, at the scenery around him and the obvious scuffle that had taken place. Yet, there was absolutely no one and nothing there. He had followed the address he had been given, breaking in and following a trail that led him into a small computer lab. Whoever had been there previously was long gone. And to think, he had played his best danger music as he ran across the rooftop and did an impressive flip through the roof and inside the building.

As if to specifically answer his dilemma, his headphones beeped and a voice spoke.

"Change of location," Slade said, completely unapologetic and heartless as he informed his apprentice of this information.

His mentor gave him a brief overview of his mission, and his new location. Danny thanked his Master and left the building, typing his new directions into his phone as he did so.

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

"Pursuing their leader! Take him down!" Artemis yelled towards Wally as she started to run out of the door, following after the kimono clad assassin that was currently fleeing after Dr. Sterling Roquette's trail.

"You are _so_ not the boss of me!" Wally protested.

"Just do it!" Artemis snapped, disappearing into the night and leaving Wally and M'gann to deal with Hook.

The two were blissfully unaware of the approaching specter that approached, floating in his cloaked glory as he prepared himself to enter the building and kick ass. It wouldn't have taken long, either, as he didn't hesitate when he started to phase into the building. The familiar beep in his ears, however, stopped him, and his mentor's voice greeted him.

"Wraith, do not enter the building," Slade told him, and Danny paused, listening attentively. "Pursue the real Dr. Roquette alongside Cheshire."

Not surprised by Deathstroke's careful attentiveness to the situation, Wraith answered with a respectful ' _yes, sir'_ and followed after the young assassin that he had noticed and ignored in favor of gaining access to the building. Not sure if she had even been made aware that he was on the mission with her (he didn't see why not, but he had been a bit late to the party), he floated above and trailed her, noting with interest the young, blonde archer that followed her as well.

The girl with the Green Arrow fixation fired off a quick arrow, and he debated as to whether or not he should interfere when Cheshire turned and deflected it quickly with her Sai, claiming that she was hoping that it would be her.

Perking with interest, he stayed out of sight and watched as Artemis fired off another arrow, which attached to the wall and emitted a smoke that spread out into the air around Cheshire. Deciding that now was a very good time to interfere, Wraith enveloped his colleague inside a glowing forcefield. Her head jerked around to look at him, and Artemis also turned and stared at the unexpected turn of events.

Danny liked to think that he looked very intimidating at that moment, floating in the air with his cloak billowing out behind him. On top of looking fabulous, the cloak also had a hood that shadowed his face and only revealed two, gleaming and cold glowing, emerald eyes.

Waiting for the smoke to dissipate, Wraith then released her from the shield, turning intangible simultaneously as Artemis fired off a quick arrow at his face. He raised an eyebrow, hidden behind the silver locks that fell slightly into his eyes. Cheshire didn't waste any time in moving to confront the archer, who sent a flying kick out at the black-haired girl, which was skillfully dodged. Cheshire grabbed Artemis from behind, elbowing her in a pressure point and sending her crumpling to the ground.

"That was quite unnecessary. Mask has built in filters," Cheshire drawled, placing a hand on her hip and tilting her head at her fellow assassin.

"Didn't realize," Wraith replied lightly, touching down onto the rooftop beside her and flipping his hood off with a subtle flick of his wrists.

"It's about time you got here," she said impatiently. "Now put that teleportation of yours to good use."

 _Of course she knew I was coming_ , Danny thought idly, confirming his earlier thoughts as he started following the trail that she had pointed out, proceeding to teleport them outside of their destination. Once there, he watched as she threw a hollow, metal shell into the door to distract Aqualad, flipping up into the vent swiftly and throwing out three poisoned darts, each hitting their mark as they landed in Aqualad's chest. Wraith followed inside and they tag teamed the Atlantean, who was quickly knocked out due to his dwindling strength from the exposure to the toxin. She let out a snarky comment that Danny paid no mind to, instead shifting his attention the rapidly loading progress bar that was displayed on the computer.

"Now, Doctor, time for our appointment," Cheshire said calmly, approaching the blonde with her two Sai in hand.

Wraith didn't bother to let her know that the progress bar was quickly filling, unlike a certain one he had encountered just before his current mission…

* * *

Black Spider had burst through the room head on, breaking through the door and causing it to crash to the floor with a resounding crash. Not knowing what to expect, he had been tense, prepared for an attack or whatever else would come his way. As he surveyed his surroundings, he took in the distinctively empty, safe room, holding nothing but a few cabinets and an old, ratty desk that held an even older computer.

The male approached it cautiously, tapping the green loading bar that was halfway done with his finger. Nothing happened in the next resounding seconds, and his face twisted underneath his mask to form a flat, deadpan expression. On the keyboard was a slip of paper, black words scrawled out neatly:

 **Make sure that the download finishes and the flash drive gets back to me at the end of the day. Or else. P.S. You might be here a while.**

He blinked disbelievingly at the screen, sitting down and then letting out a long, suffering sigh, resigned to his fate.

It was only a simple waiting game, after all. What was the worst that could happen?

The question was met with loud voices and obvious sounds of footfalls running down the hallway, followed by blind gunfire and more yelling. Pausing, Black Spider grinned under his mask and crept out into the corridor, staying out of sight and assessing the situation before him. Then he paused once again, but this time because filing down the halls were dozens upon dozens of men ( _maybe a small exaggeration_ , Spider's subconscious mused, _but who cared_?) sporting large guns as they started sweeping the area and searching for any sign of an intruder.

"Shit, really?" he whispered out in a whine under his breath, climbing into a nearby vent and crawling as quickly as the small space allowed him to. He was halfway down the vent when he remembered the note, and the reason why he was here in the first place.

Wraith would kill him if he didn't get that flash drive.

"This better be damn important," he growled out, turning around and angrily stalking away from his hopeful escape as best as he could when on his hands and knees.

He could still hear the loud clamber of the less than subtle men, and the occasional spout of random gunfire. _These sons of bitches are paranoid,_ Black Spider thought incredulously, wondering just who the hell these people were and why the hell this damn flash drive was worth all of this.

He peeked out of the vent, seeing a man standing directly underneath him. Black spider shot out a red web that attached to the man quite easily, and he used it to fling the gun away before entangling the man himself. He jumped down dramatically, landing in a crouch and standing up to meet the shell shocked glances of the downed man's colleagues.

He flipped to the side to avoid a surge of gunfire, doing a backhand spring and kicking one of the men in the face. Effectively knocked backwards, Black Spider was able to shoot out a line of webbing, sticking him to the continued to fight off more assailants that were attracted by the commotion, managing to back his way into Office 208, the room that held the flash drive. He fought back skillfully, dodging most hits but getting struck a quite a few times due to their sheer number of people. Waiting for the progress bar to slowly inch by inch to the finish line was absolute hell, and it wasn't until a while did it finish and he was able to successfully escape with only a small limp and the flash drive safe in his clutches.

* * *

"So you finished the virus," Cheshire noted, fixating her eyes on the computer screen before focusing back on the girl in her clutches. "Eliminating the reason for your… elimination. Thought not the entertainment value." She shoved the doctor to the ground, starting to pocket her Sai. "Lucky for you, my orders-"

The young assassin was cut off by the sound of a snapping neck, and Dr. Roquette's body fell limply to the floor. Standing above her was Wraith, and Cheshire looked at him with a piercing gaze.

"You were starting to monologue," Wraith shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The Shadows could have used her," Cheshire hissed, narrowing her eyes at the nonchalant boy in front of her.

"I don't know what your orders were, but mine were clear to me as well. I came here to assassinate this woman, and you clearly weren't going to," Danny argued stubbornly, pursing his lips.

Cheshire was about to retort, but was cut off, once again. This time, however, it was by a horrified gasp, and they both turned their heads to see Artemis standing in the doorway. Her eyes were wide, hand covering her mouth as she focused her gaze on the stone body lying on the floor. Cheshire grew tense, and Wraith felt no need to stay, teleporting away now the mission was blocks away, he now sat on a rooftop, hood up as he held his phone in his hand. The ringing of the outgoing call resonated in his headphones, and he waited patiently as a disgruntled man picked up the phone.

"Hi," Black Spider said wearily, pausing for a second as if out of breath before he let out a tense, "where've you been?"

"A mission," Wraith intoned, swinging his dangling feet off the side of the building in a bored manner.

"What happened to the criminal underworld being-" the male cut himself off suddenly, realization entering his tone as he stated flatly, " _and_ that was a load of bullshit, wasn't it?" He muttered words to himself, Wraith catch every other one, such as "goddamn" and "should've realized".

"Hey, at least it was easy, man. All you had to do was wait for the download. The security there was complete shit, you know. I don't know why you're so worked up about this."

"Wha-"

"I don't even think the drive was that important, but it might have some useful information if my Master wants it. Just have the flash drive delivered to Slade, alright? Talk to you later."

Wraith then hung up and happily listened to his blaring music, blissfully unaware of the colorful curses that his colleague was now muttering loudly in his name

* * *

 **This chapter took place in Season 1, Episode 6 (Infiltration) of Young Justice~ I changed some things, however! Not much shown from the Team's perspective, because this story is all mostly from Danny's POV. If you hadn't really noticed, not** **much interaction between Danny and the Tea** **m as well, so this is clearly not their big** **meeting scene. Just an ordinary** **mission on Danny's part, so don't worry!** **I also don't know Black Spider's character very well, so forgive me! Now I also didn't want to and couldn't find a place to fit in a quite large, detailed description of Danny's outfit now, so here it is:**

 **Black cloak, mostly open in the middle to reveal the outfit beneath it. A simple black HAZMAT with a white utility belt wrapped around his waist, and black holsters connected to the belt, holding several weapons in place. Rising from where the belt started, on the spandex underneath, were three, jagged white lines that protruded out along both sides of his torso, stopping at his arms. A single, silver S emblem was displayed proudly on his chest, representing his mentor along with the black half-mask that he wore. It framed his eyes and had three jagged, orange stripes in the middle that met at the edge of the mask, stopping at his nose. A pair of black headphones wrapped around his neck, framed red with red wire connecting into one of the pockets of his belt.**

 **Thanks to Kodi for help with the outfit!**

 **RR: (I apologize in advance for any weirdness in** **my replies, but I'** **m a bit loopy right now!)**

 **Ms. McClue: Ah, yes, basically every adult figure that's entered his life so far xD**

 **SuperiorBat** **man1: Thank you~! Young Justice is in the really beginning of their for** **mation of the Tea** **m cx Thanks again :)**

 **KingOfWhispers: Yeah, because I edit** **my stuff like any good author... *laughs nervously and runs away* Serious no** **te, thank you so** **much! It really** **means a lot, and I'** **m really glad that you like it :)**

 **KodiakWolfe13: I love that too! Sneaking your dad's laptop is the best! (I've been** **making so** **many typos in these replies and deleting the** **m like the backspace button is the letter A cx) I KNOW I DO, BUT I WROTE THIS IN A DAY SO I THINK I'** **mA GETTING BETTER! THANK YOU LOTS! (I feel dyslexic xD)**

 **Lord Vortex: I'** **m definitely avoiding the whole ro** **mance scene altogether xD** **Why not both? :D Yeah, colleagues here, but they** **might beco** **me good friends later on~ We'll see~**

 **Lid-Genius1: Oh** **mygosh, I know, right? Can't help but ask if you've read Dark-Net, by KodiakWolfe13~ A lot of badass cri** **minal Danny to go around, overall a** **mazing a** **mazing story!**

 **Elliot Veloz: Aw, thanks you! =^.^=**

 **Chi: Ghost for** **m, I stuck with it~ He's still a halfa, if that's what you're wondering xD**

 **socialgirl378: Okai, good, thank you~! I think I'** **m kind of dragging so** **me stuff out, so we'll see when he splits fro** **m Slade cx**

 **Alright, guys! Thank you all for the support and love~! I appreciate everyone of you! :D *throws out cupcakes to the audience***


	7. The Light

**Chapter Six:**

One would expect the busy life of a mercenary to be a constant stream of work, training, and action, all of which maybe leading up to a rather dramatic and suspenseful killing of an individual or two. _Especially_ if a certain mercenary—feared by many, high success rate, the whole nine yards—was apprenticed to Deathstroke the Terminator himself.

Said apprentice was currently idle, lying in bed as he played the mindless game on his phone known as Fruit Ninja with the casual attire of sweats and a T-shirt. It was well into an early Monday evening, and to say that the day was quite uneventful for Danny would be an understatement.

It wasn't until he grew bored of his game and settled on tinkering with a few weapons did the highlight of his night arrive. His stomach had growled loudly, and the incessant gnawing drove him to succumb to his body's growing need for nutrition. New task now in mind, Danny teleported himself to the kitchen, appearing directly in front of its bare refrigerator.

"I'm glad to see that you didn't mistakenly teleport _inside_ the fridge this time, Apprentice."

The scathing words caused Danny's expression to take on that of an unamused look, and he turned his head to meet the speaker's expectant gaze with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. Light radiating from the open refrigerator reflected off of his crystalline orbs, emphasizing his harsh stare.

Danny crossed his arms across his chest, responding with a slightly betrayed, "I thought we agreed to never talk about that. _Ever_."

Slade Wilson shrugged indifferently from his seat at the kitchen table, taking a sip of his straight black coffee and not bothering to provide an answer as he went back to reading his newspaper.

Who the hell even read newspapers these days?

Danny huffed and ignored the man in return, focusing his full attention on the displeasing contents of the fridge. It was mostly filled with distasteful, bland products that he wasn't particularly keen on eating now. His mentor ensured that he exercised healthy eating habits, but he would at least bring Danny a couple boxes of cereal every few months.

This month proved to be one of glory as he found a box of Lucky Charms stacked away on top of the fridge. He poured himself a bowl and took a seat at the table beside his mentor, who put down his paper to glance at him.

Or at his cereal, to be more specific.

The distasteful look did not go unnoticed.

"You're drinking coffee at six," Danny said quickly, proceeding to immediately shove a spoonful of marshmallows into his mouth.

"I can afford to have a late cup every now and then. _My_ diet happens to be exceptional," Slade's voice was emotionless as he spoke, but Danny was able to pick up on the accusation hidden beneath his words.

"Nuh uh," he disagreed firmly, azure eyes boring seriously into Wilson's single, darker blue eye. "I'm healthy as shit, and you know it." Slade simply stared at him with a raised eyebrow, the corner of his lip tilting upwards in a smirk.

"Prove it."

* * *

"This must be what death feels like," Wraith moaned breathlessly, voice laced with pain as he lied flat on the training floor, hand clutched over his stomach. The rise and fall of his chest was rapid as he gasped for breath, eyes shut tightly against the brightness of the light shining from above. He groaned and opened them slowly, squinting blearily at the blurred figure of a man that stood above him. A halo of white hair framed the man's head, light dancing around his form, and Wraith frowned thoughtfully. "God, _is that you?_ I have to say; I did _not_ expect you to be so damn _old_."

The sudden appearance of an armored boot pressing harshly onto his chest is the immediate response that he received, and he let out a tired sigh.

"Get up, Apprentice. We aren't finished," the mercenary ordered unsympathetically and the slit where his single eye was gleamed evilly down at him.

Wraith stood up quickly with a confused expression, fixing his snowy white hair that had been in disarray so that it fell evenly over his emerald eyes. Deathstroke nodded and stepped back, falling into a fighting stance that his apprentice mirrored perfectly.

"I though you said we'd be finished when I got the move right?"

"Your form was off by an inch."

As soon as Danny registered the words, he could only look on in exasperated disbelief at the approaching fist that Slade sent out.

The black cloaked male ducked underneath it quickly, using his momentum to twist and aim a well-powered side kick at Slade's solar plexus. As the elder jumped backwards to dodge the hit, Wraith adjusted his stance so that he smoothly transitioned into a front flip. His combat boots came together at the heels, intending to smash into his mentor's mask less, and thus unarmored, face. Instead, pain shot through the back of his ankles as a steel-covered arm smashed upwards, throwing off the sixteen-year-old's balance. Twisting, he landed in a crouch at the last second, ignoring the sudden ache the movement had sent to his ankles.

They sparred for a little over an hour before Slade had paused suddenly, inclining his head to his Apprentice to inform him to stop as well. He pressed a finger against his ear, murmuring softly into an unseen comms link at a volume so quiet that Danny had to strain to hear.

"Affirmative. Tonight is preferable, as I expect full cooperation."

There was a silent pause that Danny assumed was the unknown speaker responding, and he watched with hidden curiosity as his mentor's eye sharpened at the unheard words, narrowing slightly in a way that expressed displeasure.

"Trouble in paradise?" Danny inquired sarcastically, a light smirk playing across his lips.

"No." His smirk fell at the flat reply, turning into a dissatisfied frown as it became openly apparent that he wouldn't receive an informative answer. As Slade fastened his mask neatly over his face, the male started to walk out of the training room, gesturing for Danny to follow suit.

Stepping foot into the dark corridor that led out of the room, emerald eyes watched absently as the hall quickly became lit with artificial light. Slade proceed to walk forward without hesitation, and a confused Danny followed suit. Passing by door after door only added to Danny's confusion, the temptation to make an inquiry growing stronger as the two ventured into the deeper part of the hallway; a place that Danny hadn't explored much in the two-year span that he had been living here. The urge, however, was easily pushed away by the teenager, having been heavily disciplined into pushing back his curiosity and asking little questions.

Minutes passed before the two came to a stop in front of a door, and Slade quickly entered a pin into the keypad on the wall. It let out a single beep, granting them access to the room beyond it.

"What is this place?" Danny asked finally, staring at a circular platform lying in the middle of the room with a bemused expression. Towering screens lined the walls around it, alit with a soft glow that reflected off the shining metal bars that wrapped around the circle.

"This is your future," Slade said, causing Danny to frown as he looked around the room once more.

"My future is a dark room with a weird computer?" he asked dryly, moving to inspect the strange setup, which happened to be the only thing in the small room.

"Not necessarily."

Following those words, the room was suddenly filled with renewed light, the massive screens letting out a bright blue glow. Electricity buzzed in the air with a faint hum, and Danny was directed to the sleek platform, stepping onto it after his mentor. He stayed uncharacteristically silent as he watched the scene unravel, noting with confused interest at the vaguely humanoid shapes that appeared on each monitor.

"It's so nice to finally meet your acquaintance, young Daniel. We've heard so much about you."

Wraith raised an eyebrow at the sudden male voice which seemed to originate from the screen that stood directly in the middle. The voice was disguised, coming across as slightly robotic, and he met the faceless figure with the full intensity of his luminescent green eyes.

 _What the hell?_

After a slight pause, Danny uttered lamely, "Um, that's cool, I guess... I mean, I haven't heard anything about you… _people?_ Like, at all."

A high-pitched, cackling laugh broke out from a different screen, his blurred figure displaying distinctively sharp objects above him that Danny titled his head at. Were those… horns?

"You must be quite confused, my child. Allow me to introduce ourselves. You may call us the Light."

* * *

 **Hey, guys~ Super short filler chapter that I really needed to get out because it's been so long, and I just needed to get something down before I lost all motivation T.T I can promise that the next chapter will be here on this upcoming Friday, and it won't be short like this one! :D So I'll see you all then xD  
**

 **Upcoming chapter, get ready for some Danny and the Team action!**

 **RR:**

 **PeterPan0429: I'm glad you like his character~! I can tell you now that the Team will be playing a very big role next chapter :) Also, I understand what you're saying about his relationship with Deathstroke. I'm kind of taking that a little slow right now, but his relationship with Deathstroke will be a big arc and influence on Danny and his decisions in upcoming chapters~**

 **Guest of Honor: Sorry, I didn't do that T.T  
**

 **Drift219: THANK YOU :D**

 **Brenne: It's tragic, but fun for me xD**

 **Bob: Okkkkkkkaaaaaaay**

 **Kodi: THIS FIRST PARAGRAPH THO. IT'S BEEN WAY TOO LONG, HOLY CRAP. Those are just normal headphones that work the way some headphones work in real life xD HAHA, LOVE YOU!**

 **Socialgirl378: You're the second person to compare him to Deadpool xD (I can see that, though~) Oh my gosh, I know, right? Like, they're just trying to help and she's just being really rude and snarky xD Hmm, we'll see what I can do about the Wally thing~**

 **SoundVenom: Thanks for the input :D I'll consider it~**

 **MidnightStar: I probably won't go as far as making a team, but he might have connections here and there.**


	8. Deception

**Chapter Seven:**

"Why did you bring me here?" Wraith asked, genuinely confused as he turned his inquisitive gaze towards his mentor. His emerald eyes darted back and forth from Slade to the individuals on the screens, dark brows furrowed in bemusement.

"Because, Apprentice, we believe that you're ready to take the next step," Slade said, and Danny could have sworn that his lip twitched upwards into what might have been a smile, if he didn't know any better. He wrote it off immediately, of course; Slade smiling was almost as logical as a horse graduating from nursing school.

"' _We'_ believe that he's ready? Nice try, Slade. Try: ' _you'_ think that the kid is ready. Frankly, I don't see why your opinion should even matter! While we've been working our asses off here, you've been in your little hideout playing with an orphan!"

"Um, I'm not an orphan. My biological parents are both alive and kicking," Danny pointed out, but went blatantly ignored as a furious Slade took a threating step forward.

"What the hell is it that you think I've been doing this whole time, _Manta_? Playing catch? You, off all people, have no damn place questioning my motives."

"Slade, playing catch? Ha! That's rich, man," Danny said with a smirk, looking to be completely at ease; his shoulders, however, betrayed this, going rigid as the atmosphere turned uncomfortably tense. His small attempt to lighten it went ignored once again, and his smirk fell into a small frown.

"We've already settled this, Manta," a new voice interrupted, sounding quite annoyed with the male. "We have agreed that Daniel will be tested to ensure his place. This petty squabble is useless."

What the hell was this 'Manta' guys problem with him anyways? Nonetheless, the words seemed to do the trick as the annoying one fell silent, and Danny didn't fail to notice Slade's smirk.

"Daniel," Slade said, finally addressing his apprentice as he turned to face him, placing a large hand on the teenager's cloaked shoulder. "This is an organization known as The Light-"

"Yeah, I got that already. That has to be the dumbest fucking name I've ever heard in my entire life."

Slade gave him a dry stare at the interruption, but Danny wasn't fooled and could sense the underling amusement that lay under it, causing him to grin.

"Their goal is to ensure the successful and preferred evolution of humanity's future. They have their hands in everything, and can take down a small country overnight at the snap of a finger. Everything is completed behind the scenes; no one truly knows who the Light or its members are unless they've received an opportunity, one that you're being given today."

As Wraith registered this, he observed the tremendously sized screens around him, the blurred blue figures standing eerily still on each of them. They were, no doubt, watching him closely; he could feel their stares boring into him. It set an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, mind racing to discern what was occurring.

The conclusion that Slade wanted him to work for the anonymous group was easy to come to, but the problem was that he _wanted_ to say no. However, as tempting as it was, it didn't matter what he wanted; it mattered what Slade wanted.

The mercenary had taken him in when he had nowhere else to go, gave him everything that he has today. Slade helped him realize and overcome the evils that existed in his world. Without his interference, Danny would still be devoted to the man that he used to know as his father. The same selfish man that had lied to him his entire life to force a lifestyle that he didn't want. He didn't harbor any hatred towards his mentor. The guy was only doing his job, after all, and Danny grew to be grateful for everything that he had done for him over the last couple of years.

It was utterly impossible to refuse.

"Just tell me what I have to do."

"The job is quite simple, really. A man by the name of Deshi Kane will be meeting with a Star Labs information broker for… _sensitive_ documents. Your mission is to take Kane out quietly before the exchange is made. The Star Labs employee will have a silver briefcase; I want you to bring it back."

The man that was speaking… He soundly _extremely_ familiar to Danny, and he grew a bit frustrated as he listened, unable to place the disguised voice to a face. He obviously held a position of power within the Light, and it might not have been worth noting, but the teenager wondered if the order the screens were lined in held any meaning. The one that debriefed him was in the middle screen, holding no crucial features that clued Danny in to his identity.

His mission, too, sounded insanely simple. He wasn't being told everything; just what he needed to know to play out his part. This was even more aggravating, and Danny wanted to protest. It was unsettling not knowing the many details that they were, undoubtedly, not telling him. This feeling stirred something within him, a nagging feeling in his gut that lead him to believe that there had to be something bigger going on than just a couple of 'sensitive documents' being traded on a street corner. The temptation to speak out was bottled, and he took a deep breath, resolve taking over as he stared back at the digital figure.

* * *

Focused green eyes, hidden beneath the surface of a shadowed hood, sharpened carefully behind the glass scope of a high-powered rifle, which had been leveled evenly and was balancing on the concrete ledge of the tall roof. The figure behind the weapon crouched behind it, one leg resting on the floor and the other bent; he had his left arm propped up onto his knee as he held the top of his weapon in place.

Wraith's piercing gaze easily scanned through the darkness of the night and focused on an abandoned lot across the road. He waited patiently and quietly, only moving to occasionally shift his weapon to scan the area.

Time slowly dragged by with nothing but the occasional drunk civilian stupidly stumbling through the empty streets, and the blatant lack of activity caused boredom to settle in, but, Danny, nonetheless, stood alert and relatively motionless. His dimly lit surroundings only seemed to darken as the seconds passed, the luminescent sliver of a moon above doing little to help. Most individuals would find the scene to be eerily frightening; Wraith, however, welcomed the darkness, feeling a sense of comfort as it enveloped him in shadowed silence.

He let out a sigh and tapped at the screen built into the armor on his arm, causing several large numbers to appear that displayed ' **10.06'**. The numbers rapidly decreased as time passed, and Danny watched attentively, feeling a grin grow on his face as his fists tightened in anticipation. As soon as ten seconds passed and four big zeroes filled the small screen, there was a screech of rubber against cement as a vehicle skidded into the lot, another following closely behind.

The accuracy in which The Light had predicted when his mark would show was rather odd, to say the least. He wasn't given an approximate span of hours, or minutes; no, they had him pinned to literally the exact second, and as curious as he was, something told him that he would be better off not knowing. But Danny was an expert at ignoring the small voice of reason in his head, and he made a mental note to ask Slade about it later.

The two cars screeched to a halt, stopping a considerate distance from each other, and Danny lifted the scope of his gun to observe them. Three men stepped out of the first vehicle, and he scanned their faces quickly, instantly recognizing a balding Asian man that came out of the back seat.

A smirk graced his face as he pulled his rifle closer, trailing the large weapon to follow the male's movements from across the street. His finger on the trigger tightened slowly, synonymous with the narrowing of his emerald eyes, and then…

Nothing.

Literally nothing, as the rifle was ripped away from his grasp and sent flying across the roof. Wraith raised an eyebrow and slowly turned around, gaze landing on a hovering green female that stared back defiantly. Her right hand was raised, and it didn't take a genius for him to figure out what had happened.

"Dude, I was in the middle of something," he said, flicking off his hood to reveal his annoyed face to the Martian.

"I know that," M'gann responded, her frown disapproving, as if Danny gave a shit as to what the strange green girl thought.

She floated a bit awkwardly, seeming to be unsure about what to do from there. He used this opportunity to his advantage, hands glowing blue as two sharp daggers made of ice formed in his palm. The display caused the Martian to tense and fall into a defensive stance, but Danny simply turned around to face the edge of the roof. With a quick snap of his wrists, the daggers were sent shooting across the distance of the street, puncturing one tire of each car parked in the lot.

Just as he was about to snap off a sarcastic comment, the whistle of metal slicing through air sounded off to his sensitive hearing. Two explosive birdarangs whizzed past, Wraith swiftly darting to the side and flipping backwards as the explosion hit the concrete and detonated, shaking the roof. Echoing cackles followed suit, a lithe figure appearing from out of nowhere and landing beside the redheaded alien with a red and yellow ginger in tow.

Why the hell were the superhero sidekicks popping up like daisies suddenly?

"You murdered Dr. Sterling Roquette!" Kid Flash yelled angrily.

Despite this being their first-time meeting, the Flash look-alike seemed awfully furious with him killing the rather annoying doctor yesterday. Thus, it was only natural that Danny decided to add fuel to the fire.

"Murder is such a strong word. I prefer-" Wraith paused to pretend to think for a moment before giving Wally a devious grin. "You know, forgot I said anything. Murder is just fine."

An unspoken agreement seemed to pass between the three, and all at once, they advanced towards him, attacking from all sides. M'gann used her telekinesis to give Robin a boost, sending him flying towards Wraith with a kick aimed at his head. The white-haired male ducked underneath it easily, retaliatiating without hesitation.

 _Damn, Robin was a vicious fighter for someone that looked no older than twelve._

Wraith proceeded to engage in a one-on-one battle, purposefully omitting the use of his powers because, really, it was just more enjoyable for the mercenary. As the two continued fighting, neither really gained the upper hand, and he was so focused on the aggravatingly acrobatic ninja that he almost forgot about the other two.

But he would never really forgot something so important, and turned intangible just as a flash of yellow sped through him. Wally, the poor soul, didn't expect this at all and almost sped right off the side of the building. He probably would have actually done it too—it would have been the funniest thing that happened all day—so Danny was a bit dissapointed when M'gann grabbed him at the last second and pulled him to safety.

"What the hell? Did I just go _through_ you? Ew, dude, that's seriously disturbing."

"You're a density shifter?" M'gann asked, surprised.

Seeing as he had no idea what she meant by 'density shifter', Danny simply ignored the question and said, "Well, not that this hasn't been fun or anything, I kind of have a job to do. Although, I don't really care if you follow me." With that, he saluted, his form being enveloped in a cloud of black smoke. It quickly faded out and Wraith was gone.

Because of their last mission, Artemis, one of the few of them that had seen the villain in person, was aware of his teleporting abilities and ensured that her teammates were as well. Thus, the three heroes expected this turn of events, and Robin grinned as spoke into the mindlink, " _Get ready, Aqualad. Target heading your way."_

"You guys want to follow him?"

"Oh yeah."

Danny appeared between the two cars within seconds, and noted with great amusement that they were attempting, and failing, to drive away. The commotion that Robin had caused—literally trying to blow him up with his stupid exploding birdarangs—was like a neon sign to his mark, saying, " _Hey! Maybe you should get out of here cause your little secret meeting isn't so secret anymore!"_

Unfortunately for the so-called corrupt Star Labs employees and skin-head Deshi, the cars refused to listen to their commands, metal screeching against the road in ear-splitting volumes the longer that they tried. Danny quickly grew tired of watching the pathetic show and shot at both cars with bullets of ice, being mindful to hit unoccupied portions of metal to draw out its passengers.

It worked beautifully, and car doors were hurriedly thrown open as the occupants all rushed out at once, scrambling for cover from the onslaught that Wraith unleashed on them. Just as he was about to stop firing on his own accord, someone decided that they would be nice enough to forcefully do it for him. A stream of water shot towards his form and his hands dropped to his side. He allowed the water to pass through him, but it came surging back like a slingshot, solidifying into Aqualad's water-bearers.

"We have to stop meeting like this, Aquaboy," Wraith said with a shit-eating grin, recalling that the last time he had met the Atlantean, the guy was trying to stop yet another one of his assassinations.

"I can assure you, this won't end like last time," Aqualad responded determinedly, ignoring the jab at his name.

"Don't respond to 'Aquaboy'," a familiar voice interrupted as Wally sped over to join his leader. Robin soared down soon after, landing nimbly in a crouch, and M'gann floated in beside him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the group of males attempting to make a run for it while Wraith was distracted. Without taking his gaze from the proteges that stood before him, he lifted his hand and shot at them, encasing them all in gooey ectoplasm. The force of his shot sent them flying to the floor, where they stuck and were rendered immobile. They cried out in outrage, causing a satisfied smirk to grace his features.

"It's four against one, Wraith. Surrender, while you still can," Wally said, sounding way too cliché and cocky for Danny's liking.

"Do you superheroes have a fucking textbook of cliché lines? I swear, no one can be original these days," Danny said, rolling his eyes. "Look, I want to fight you guys. Truly, I do. But I came here on a mission, and I'm not going to stop it to deal with you dumbasses."

"That's funny. You think you have a choice," Robin responded, proceeding to initiate the assault as he darted forward.

Wraith sighed in exasperation, flying backwards to avoid the attack. He fired ectoblasts at the young bird, which were easily dodged, and Robin responded by sending two birdarangs flying at the halfa. He shot them down before they could reach him, but then turned quickly and was met with a trash can that was sent flying at his face.

M'gann was the obvious culprit, so an irritated Danny grabbed it and sent it soaring back at her with double the speed (because who the hell throws a fucking trash can during a fight?).

The strange thing about group fights was that it was hard to attack all at the same time. In his experience, people liked to stand back and wait for an opening while the other went on the offense. However, as he continued to fight against the Team, he realized that the opposite applied for them. As much as he hated to compliment the enemy, the four sidekicks had almost impeccable teamwork.

When one attacked, the other would follow suit and boost the former's offensive strategy. Wally started to run circles around him, creating a wind funnel that was difficult to fly in so that he would be forced to land, and Aqualad met him at the bottom, his water-bearers taking the shape of two swords. One swung out, aiming for his torso, and he ducked underneath it, only to move into Robin's path. He would have been hit by the thirteen-year old's oncoming fist if he didn't turn intangible at the last second, allowing him to pass through it.

He quickly grew tired of this and simply teleported next to his mark and company, who all turned at his sudden appearance with wide eyes. When he hit the Star Labs employee with the sticky ectoplasm, the silver briefcase that the Light wanted him to bring back had tumbled out of his hand, landing beside him. All he had to do was send a quick shot at Deshi's head, grab the case, and leave. It was simple.

But not simple enough, apparently, as Kid Flash ran at him from behind when he bent to pick up the briefcase.

Danny wanted to bang his head into a wall.

Now resigned to fighting the superhero wannabes before he could finish the mission, Wraith decided to end it quickly to save everyone the trouble.

The superheroes were in control in the beginning of the battle, and they continued to attack in sync with zero communication, as if… as if they could read the other's every thought. _Holy shit, he was an idiot_. It was the Martian!

She most likely had some form of ongoing mental communication between them. This was, honestly, a creepy thought, but Wraith grinned wickedly as he started to develop a plan.

Kill the Martian.

Okay, maybe not that extreme, but at least hinder her so that he could kill the bald Asian and get the fuck out of there. He was, of course, lying out of his ass when he said that he wanted to fight, and was starting to become very annoyed.

His emerald eyes flickered to land on her hovering form and he teleported behind her. She turned the second that he appeared, and he was so close that her red hair almost smacked him in the face. _Damn, he didn't expect her to realize that he was there so quickly._ Nevertheless, his eyes and hands glowed a bright blue as he fired a shard of ice at her throat. Her own eyes took on a glow as well, a bright green, and she used her telekinesis to stop the ice, the tip of it mere centimeters from her neck.

In the split second that she was solely concentrated on stopping the ice from impaling her, Wraith used his other hand to send a harsh, radiating punch to her stomach. As his fist made contact, he shot a strong ectoblast that had her descending rapidly to the ground.

Wally, the only one fast enough to catch her before she fell, immediately ran towards her in a streak of yellow and red. By the time he reached her, Danny already teleported to back to his mark. He picked up the silver briefcase, but found himself unable to do much else as Robin and Kaldur went after him.

Danny glanced at the terrified Deshi Kane, who stared back pleadingly, and sighed, leaving in a wisp of smoke. He didn't immediately report back to the Light when he left, which he probably should to both return the case and tell them of his failure to kill skinhead Deshi. But he didn't really care about that right now. There was something that he had to do first.

The nagging feeling that he had when being debriefed had never left, and he would be damned if he handed over the stupid briefcase first without stopping to see what was in it. He stopped a good distance away in a small, empty alleyway, holding the case loosely by its handle. It had a small lock on the front to open it, which required a key that he didn't have.

But considering that he didn't kill his target, he was already in enough trouble as it was. A little bit more wouldn't hurt. With this thought, he shot the lock with a small ectoblast, breaking it. The top cover opened slightly and made a small slit where it met the bottom half. Wraith took a deep breath, grasping the cold metal of the lid, and lifted it, revealing the contents inside.

It was empty.

* * *

 ***fake gasp of shock* Empty!? How can this be?!**

 **Whelp, I was only a day late, so that's gonna be a win in my book :D Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**

 **RR:**

 **Drift219: Oh yeah, he was a moster in that show xD Hehe, thank you~!**

 **ShiraCr18: Yeah, the moment we've been waiting for! :D xD**

 **Kodi: HAHA, I'M GLAD THAT YOU FOUND THE FRIDGE THING FUNNY! Also, oh my gosh, you being excited is making me excited and I probably wouldn't have gotten my groove back if you weren't here :D**

 **: Yes, I too want this to happen soon xD Thank you!**

 **Rocky: Or Saturday at midnight, is good too? xD  
**

 **cg037: Aww, I appreciate it! Thank you! I can't answer the first question or the second one, but the last one is a no. No parings at all~**

 **lightready1: Yay, I'm glad you like it!**

 **Gues that reviewed the prologue: The ending of your review was absolutely hilarious, thank you xD**


	9. Unexpected Consequences

**Chapter Eight:**

The empty briefcase, which Wraith had gone through _a lot_ to get, tumbled uselessly to the floor like the piece of shit that it was. As if sensing that something was amiss, the trusty headphones that were always wrapped around his neck crackled to life as soon it hit the floor. It was, of course, Slade, and Danny made a sound that was some sort of mixture between a groan and a sob. He really did not want to talk to the guy right now.

After a few more seconds of staring with the blankest expression, Wraith slowly raised a hand to his headphones, moving strands of white hair to the side to access his mentor's communications link. Normally it was connected by default, but he made sure to temporarily disable it during his little rendezvous.

Instead of letting Slade talk first, Danny let his attitude get the best of him.

"Respectfully, sir… This is a joke, right? I just had to deal with the most annoying nuisances to ever exist, so please don't play with me. I'm not in the mood."

"Get back to base," Slade said. He completely ignored every word that had just come out of Danny's mouth, much to the sixteen-year old's surprise. Generally, Slade would usually respond with at least some semblance of a scolding whenever Danny got particularly sassy.

Something was wrong.

He put his frustration at his own predicament to the side for a moment. Although he would have loved to confront the Light and rant at the cowards hiding behind screens like the idiot that he was, it was probably not the best way to approach the situation.

But then again, Danny never was one to think social situations through.

"Don't you 'get back to base' me! This stupid briefcase doesn't have anything in it! Sir." Wraith yelled, picking up the briefcase and shaking it around just for good measure.

"And he opened it. Of course. Why am I not surprised?" After uttering a few words to himself, which were not in Danny's favor, Slade finally addressed him with a dismissive, "but that doesn't matter right now. Just come back to base."

"Alright, fine, but you bet your ass you're explaining _everything_ later."

Despite the rather explicit demand, Slade said nothing and cut off the communications link, which Wraith decided to take as an automatic agreement. He teleported back to the house (refusing to call it a base, no matter what Slade said), ready to have a heated discussion with his mentor. However, there was just one problem.

Slade wasn't there.

Danny flicked out a hand with pursed lips, looking around the empty room. _Great. This is just… wait, this_ is _great!_ He grinned and practically skipped down the hallway. Since Slade wasn't here, he could talk to the Light without restraint! That is, if he could get into contact with them. Although, that did beg the question… where exactly was Slade?

Oh well. He didn't care enough to find out.

"What are you doing?" Slade asked, almost giving Danny a heart-attack at the sudden question bursting through his headphones.

"Me? Nothing, I'm just… I'm… taking a shit!" Danny blurted out. At this point, he found the Light conference room and began his attempt at navigating through the strange monitors that lined the walls.

There was a long moment of silence. Then Slade let out a long, deep sigh.

"Daniel, I can see you through the cameras. Get off that computer. I need you to go the corridor three and secure the USB drive labeled '9Q7'."

"The forbidden corridor?" Danny gasped in delight.

"Yes, the forbidden corridor."

"Consider it done, Master."

* * *

Corridor three was insane. It was probably the worst hallway to ever exist in the history of hallways. Honestly, it was so over-the-top and securely guarded that Danny couldn't even see why anything there would need to be secured. If anybody tried to bypass its security, it was game-over.

A towering steel door blocked off the entrance. The only way to get it open was by using the invisible handprint scanner that was extremely high up on the wall. In fact, it was so inconveniently high that it was a wonder how Slade even got to it. Danny could only imagine the mercenary jumping and slamming his hand into the wall like some glorified basketball player.

Thankful that he was one of the few able to access it, Wraith flew to the general direction of the scanner. It took a few tries to find it, but, eventually, a large, blaring red square appeared underneath his hand, giant letters screaming out, 'ACCESS DENIED'

Before he could even blink, the regular artificial lights all shut off and were replaced by flashing red ones, accompanied by an ear-splitting alarm.

"Holy fuck!" Wraith yelled, green-eyes widening in surprise.

Weapons immediately retracted from the ceiling, eerily turning in unison to point at their target. Said target repeated more curses and turned intangible, flying through the door just as an explosion of gunfire rained down where he had just been standing.

He could have phased through the door in the first place, but the security system would have registered him as an intruder. Using the scanner was the only way to get through the entrance unscathed. However, Slade was a paranoid bastard, and on the off chance that someone managed to cut off his hand to use it on the scanner, the motion sensors lining the hallway would have immediately registered them as unfriendly. Danny, apparently, fell into that category.

The hurried divebomb into the forbidden corridor led to a harsh crash-landing onto the cement floor. A dozen or so Sladebots were waiting on the other side, Wraith's sudden presence making them surge forward with dark, glaring eyes trained on him. Danny just grinned at the advancing robots and turned intangible.

The plan was to go the easy way out and simply fly through the defenses.

He should have known that it wouldn't be that easy.

It all happened in an instant. The Sladebots were backed by several guns lining the ceiling, like the weapons that had previously shot at him outside the hall, and, as if a signal went off, they started firing in sync. Wraith flew forward, directly into the barrage of attacks with the expectation of them passing through him.

Surprise, surprise.

He was sent flying backwards, careening into the hard metal door.

 _What the…!_

No longer intangible, Wraith dusted himself off and stood up, eyes lighting a ferocious green.

* * *

 **Alright, I know this is short, but I promised myself I would update today, so~ I'm sure you have a lot of questions about what's going on, so most, if not all, of them will be answered and it will all make sense next chapter! (Hopefully xD)**

 **RR:**

 **Ms. McClue: You have a lot of great guesses, and one of them is right but I won't say which xD**

 **cg037: Aww, thank you, I'm so glad! :D**

 **The Crossover Addict: Yeeeess they are! It makes happy that you liked my fight scene because I basically suck at those xD**

 **Kodi: Okay, BUT I FEEL THE SAME EXACT WAY WHEN I READ YOUR STUFF. However, everything might not turn out like you're expecting it to xD BE SURPRISED.**

 **Rosie dragoneel: YES DANNY CAN RELATE SO MUCH! Honestly, same, but I know what happens later so I feel better about it xD**

 **Drift219: Thank you! The Light will eventually be in trouble, but not yet :D**

 **bluesz: ...you're right, he could have xD Whoops. But it was much more dramatic this way, I guess :D I can totally see that conversation happening, dude, thank you!**

 **To the first four guests that all said similar things: Nope, Danny isn't, but so many things are happening that we'll just have to wait for it to play out :D**

 **Nightwing15: I'm so glad you like it!**

 **MoonStalker90: We'll see. I might talk more about the villain community Danny sometimes hangs around later~**

 **Last two Guests: Thank you so much!**


End file.
